Saying goodbye is never an easy thing.

Many prefer not to do it. When relationships come to an end, they often do without a last embrace, a last kiss, a last look in the eye. The door is not shut completely, in the hope that, one day, there could be a rekindling, a fresh start.

But death is a different story. And when this death is of a person who did so much for his country, in times of great difficulty and in times of prosperity, then the void that is left behind is hard to fill.

Over the past four days, since the news of Guido de Marco’s death spread like wildfire in all corners of Malta and Gozo, it was as if a part of this nation of ours had been taken away from all of us. That part will never come back, but Prof de Marco’s legacy will be remembered for generations to come.

He was loved by his supporters, and respected by his opponents. He was an exceptional lawyer, and a great teacher, never keeping back from imparting his knowledge and experience to all those who sought his advice.

As minister, he revamped a police force which, until his time, was feared, rather than being the shield of the population. He was then the man who started the road towards Malta’s membership in the European Union and, after this application was frozen upon a change of government, he was again the one who re-started the process. It took a man of his stature to put Malta’s road to the EU back on track.

As President of the Republic, he sought to bring about more unity in this little country of ours. In spite of the political division that exists, Prof. de Marco was capable of being the President of all the Maltese. It was also fitting that he was head of state at the time when Malta signed the Treaty that formally paved the way for the country’s eventual EU membership.

In the international field, Prof. de Marco was the only Maltese to ever hold the position of President of the United Nations. His tireless work to bring about more stability, a better world and peace, in particular in the Middle East, is just one of the many feathers in his cap.

He could not have chosen a better title for his book in which he recounts his life – “the politics of persuasion” was what Guido lived for.

But Guido de Marco was much more than this. And all the people who had the honour to know him can attest to his ability to remember the small details, and his interest in people’s lives. He loved being among friends, enjoyed life to the full.

His love for his family knew no bounds, and although in his political career he met many of the world’s leaders, past and present, photos of his beaming face while in the presence of his wife, children and grand-children were probably the ones that he cherished the most.

Death has taken Guido de Marco away from his family, his friends and the country he loved so much. But he has left us knowing that what he set out to do, his mission of seeing Malta a much better place to live in and firmly placed in the European Union, has been accomplished.

Malta would not be the country it is today were it not for Guido de Marco.

And, without him, Malta is a poorer country.