Topic: Mdina and the Boffos

[WhatHo!]

Hi, I hate to discuss the death of someone but is there any documented proof of when Ettore Boffo actually died? I have just read this statement from Elizabeth Harris,
"In 1971, Michael and I finally decided to sell the business and return to the UK. One of those who purchased shares and became a new owner was a former employee, Mr Joe Said. Mr Boffo remained working at M’dina until Mr Mintoff (added: = 1971) came to power, when he was given an ultimatum – either work under the Chinese or leave the island. He decided to stay but unfortunately, and all too soon, his son Etore developed leukaemia and died a year later. His father was heartbroken."
This suggests it was 1972. I am hearing 1970, 71 and 72 and I just wanted clear this up.

[flying free]

WhatHo! if the '1971' date you mention has come from my post on the other thread about the Chalice, I corrected that and apologised for my typo on that thread.  I also mentioned on that thread, when John corrected me that it was 1970, that he was right to correct me because these things get misquoted
If you have seen 1971 mentioned elsewhere then please ignore my comment above, but if it was in reference to what I wrote, I was quoting Mark Hill's book incorrectly.

The date given in Mark Hill's book is December 1970 (source: Mdina Glass & Isle of Wight Studio Glass - Mark Hill, Page 26)
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[WhatHo!]

I have found the date of death of Ettore from Malta Gov.mt and it was on 28/12/71. This means when Jim Munnelly arrived Ettore was still alive. ..Edited..

[chopin-liszt]

I have only just discovered the name of Jim Munnelly, does anybody have any known examples of his work?

Clearly, if he was somebody of advanced skills, working there in the early days, it is more than likely his work has been mistaken for that of somebody else.

It would be really good to find out a lot more about him.

My best friend at school died of leukaemia in '69. There really wasn't anything anybody could do about it back then. She was only ill for 3 weeks; she died shortly after they'd finally managed to diagnose her.

[rosieposie]

Ettore may not have been extremely  ill up until the last few weeks of his life. In the 60's and 70's treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia was not available as Sue mentions. We lost our little son, an Uncle and a dear friend to this terrible disease despite them appearing well up until the last few weeks of their life. Even today this is one of the least successfully treated forms of leukaemia.
So it may well be that Ettore was working well and producing glass up until the Autumn of 1971.

Modified:  I see you have edited your post Wolfie, and so my posting is just to confirm the fact that it could well be that Ettore was capable of working and producing good glass art late into the year 1971.

[WhatHo!]

Thanks for advising me about Leukaemia I wasn't aware how aggressive it can be.

[WhatHo!]

Jim Munnelly pieces after he left Mdina can found, a few have turned up on eBay recently that are signed by him. Quite a few paperweights and this, http://www.result.ly/result/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZXRzeS5jb20vbGlzdGluZy8xNzM4MjQ3NDUvamltLW11bm5lbGx5LXN0dWRpby12YXNlLXNpZ25lZC1hcnQ=
Also check ebay completed listings.
Example from Mdina I have no idea.

[Baked_Beans]

I'm really sorry to hear of your loss Rosie , you are brave to even talk about it here . My dad has been fighting a less aggressive form of cancer for over a decade now and it's  dreadful .

I was so sad to discover, recently, that Vicente lost another son in a car accident . How much grief can one person(s) endure ??

There is one glimmer of hope , the 'Times of Malta' article about Mdina Glass said that Ettore had two sons . I hope they are doing fine and perhaps they might, one day, make contact with this message board !......This being a message in a glass bottle 

Kindest Regards, Mike.

[Maria Rosaria Attard]

Hi, l would like to rectify all that has been stated by Elizabeth Harris regarding my father and brother Vincenzo and Ettore Boffo.
Liz was correct only when she said my father was heart broken after Ettore passed away.
Ettore died on the 29th of December 1971 and my father was not given an ultimatum by the goverment it was his choice to leave Mdina Glass and go to the MDG as he found it very hard to stay there after Ettore passed away.Mike Harris left late 70s,they were at my wedding  in 1973 and left Malta some years later maybe 1978.,returned after some years and started a small factory in Gozo.
l'm am proud of my father and brother and will be happy to give any information regarding them and their work,my memory is still good !!

[chopin-liszt]

How very kind of you to register and respond here. thank-you very much indeed.

I am much heartened to learn that the masterglassmaker Vicente Boffo, who we all very much admire here, still had a daughter to love after he lost his son, but I am sorry that you lost your brother in such a horrible way.
We did not know about you.

Apologies if anything wrong said here has upset you; our aim is to find out the truth about the work your father and brother did, to get their work and their true place in art history, as the important characters they were, recorded for posterity. I hope you will forgive the errors we have made so far.