It was with great sorrow that we heard about the passing away of Dr Lawrence Agius, sadly only a few years after his retirement. Lawrence provided his professional contribution in the Department of Pathology at St Luke’s Hospital, after returning from the US where he underwent his specialist training, and subsequently at Mater Dei Hospital. His primary contribution to the department, in which he served for many years, was in neuropathology, his main speciality, and in autopsy pathology. He published extensively in his speciality and also served as a lecturer in the Department of Pathology, University of Malta. When he retired he left a void in the field of neuropathology which could not be easily filled.
His funeral reflected his life, simple and unpretentious. The focus was not on his professional achievements but on his quiet and unassuming presence. He valued what is important in life. Although he did not form a family of his own, he was close to his parents and siblings. He supported his parents whilst they lived, and had a close relationship with his sister and her family and with his brother. This is the gift that he left us; a reminder to us all who belong to an increasingly competitive profession, and who work in an environment in which at times blowing one’s own trumpet seems to be the only way to get some recognition, to value quiet, unobtrusive service and to be present to those who we love.
Dr Alexandra Betts on behalf of the Malta College of Pathologists