Born on 1 October 1946, Sir Fabian was a Royal Navy officer, and a highly respected and well-loved figure during his time in the island.
‘He was ever the proper governor,’ said Richard Graham, who served as his secretary and aide-de-camp throughout his years in the island.
‘He was very experienced and he took the role very seriously. But I think what distinguished him was that he had a great sense of fun. He used to do things that I sometimes advised him weren’t gubernamental.
‘He was my third Lt-Governor and I got to know him and his family very well.
‘Those of us who worked in the office almost lived with the Malbons for those five years.
‘He was great fun, and he and his wife both loved the island very much indeed.
‘Being a sailor and a Royal Navy officer, he was very happy at sea, and loved meeting up with the lifeboat people.
‘He was fiercely competitive in some ways, never giving up easily.
‘And he was very well respected and liked among the community, I think because the community appreciated they had a governor who liked people.’
Hearing of his passing had prompted Mr Graham to reflect on their memories together.
‘It reminds me of a happy time in my working life,’ he said.
‘He was one of us, but at the same time he was a distinguished man who had risen very high in the Royal Navy on merit.
‘It’s like the passing of a lot of my friends – you realise that you’ve got the memories, but it doesn’t get any better.’
Among his many talents and interests, Sir Fabian was a keen amateur photographer.
He even threw himself into a specially organised day of ‘work experience’ with former Guernsey Press photographer Ady Miller.
‘He was such an easy man to get along with,’ said Mr Miller.
‘You’d think it’s unusual to have the Lt-Governor do work experience with you, but he spent the morning with me.
‘Our first job happened to be at a cafe on the Bridge. We sat down for a coffee and he said “you’ve got a great life haven’t you?”
'He chatted about his military days and things like that – we had a great morning.
‘He was a gentleman. And he was funny – you could have a real joke with him. He was very approachable and friendly. He made you feel very welcome and relaxed.
'It was always a pleasure to go to Government House.’
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