On 25 February, Br Arthur Maybon, FMS, passed away in Melbourne. Below is an obituary written by SoTS Provincial, Br Peter Carroll.
Br Arthur Maybon breathed his last this morning at 9.50am Melbourne time. He died at The Little Sisters of the Poor Home at Northcote, where he had been in residence since November last year. As expected, his death was gentle and quiet. He was in his 91st year and 71st as a Marist Brother.
Art didn’t suffer any medical crisis or chronic disease. He simply aged, became frailer and slowly deteriorated. Over the last few days, Art had many visitors and was able to talk with them and enjoy their company. He only slipped into unconsciousness yesterday afternoon, and soon afterwards Brothers Darren Burge and Tony Clark arrived to pray with him. Art has been beautifully cared for at the Little Sisters and received close attention from our health care team and local Brothers.
Gilbert John was born to Lily and John Alfred Maybon on 23 June 1934 in Leeton, New South Wales. He was the eldest of three children, and now only his brother, Darcy survives. Their sister Carmel, who was a Josephite Sister, died in Sydney last year.
Art met the Brothers through his schooling and went from St Gregory’s College Campbelltown, where he was a boarder, to the short-lived Macedon Juniorate in January 1951. He followed the normal formation path of the time: Postulancy and Novitiate at Mittagong, first vows on 2 July 1955 and then straight into the classroom at Sacred Heart College Adelaide as Br Arthur Regis. The need for Brothers was urgent and there was no time for study. Like so many others of his era, Art had to learn on the job, improvise and manage. Over time he gained Victorian teacher registration and studied a series of courses in practical areas – woodwork, metalwork, mechanics, mechanical drawing, graphics, catechetics and agriculture.
These were the fields that Arthur taught and worked in throughout his active ministry, and they suited his interests and temperament. As the old saying goes, “you can take the man out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the man”. Arthur was a man of the land; a down-to-earth, direct and practical man. He liked the country way of life, and he liked country people.
Appropriately, apart from short periods in Adelaide at Sacred Heart and Thebarton, he spent his active years in regional towns: Leeton, Bendigo, Kilmore, Broken Hill, Forbes, Griffith, and Mount Gambier. He also had two years in PNG at St Xavier’s on Kairiru Island where his skills were found particularly helpful. Art also managed the farm at Kilmore for 12 years.
As you can imagine, this meant constant work.
Doug Walsh recalls an incident from his time with Arthur at Kilmore that well captures this: “…It was a typically cold, wintry, Kilmore night, bitter and unwelcoming. Art had not come in for tea. After an hour or so Bernie Riley and I went looking for Art. As we drove through the rain and blackness, we eventually saw a glow in a distant paddock. As we approached, we could see Art, in the faint light of a lamp, struggling, with ropes hooked around fences as he gave assistance to a cow in labour. As a man of the land Art was never afraid to do the hard things".
It is difficult to believe that the man we knew in later life was once capable of such sustained, vigorous endeavour. However, as a young man, Art was an excellent athlete and sportsman. Some have commented that in his younger years he could have played for his beloved Magpies. As a fit and imposing young man he could drop-kick a football sixty meters down the main oval at Sacred Heart College.
Even in his advanced years, Art’s love for country-life didn’t fade. He was always a strong protagonist for "Buy Australian". He remained a devoted follower of all that appeared in "The Land" (the newspaper that dealt with rural matters). Up until recent years he still knew the prices for every type of farm animal, as well as the rainfall totals at various locations around the State and country.
Art had a genuine interest in people and maintained strong links with many friends whom he corresponded with and phoned regularly. Whenever he attended reunions, particularly at Assumption Kilmore, he was sought out by old boys wanting to connect and talk about past days. Art liked a good conversation and was always willing to give his opinion, which would be given in a firm and uncompromising manner, despite contrary views. He remained interested, connected, sharp and knowledgeable to the end.
The other unique trait that Arthur exhibited was his knowledge of family and family connections. It is said that between most people there exists ‘six degrees of separation’, but with Art it was surely more like three. He possessed a remarkable memory and an amazing knowledge of people and their genealogical connections with others. Many came away from a conversation with Arthur believing they could be related to him or someone he knew.
Undoubtedly prayer, Mass and meditation sustained Arthur in his long years of Religious Life as a Brother. He could be found in the Chapel at Fitzroy North at various times of the day and night. He loved to talk about his rich Marist life and the many friends and relatives who were so good to him. He was particularly conscious of this in recent months. His last words to John McMahon were “thank you”.
But it is we who must thank Arthur for his fidelity and dedication, for the long years of hard work around Australia, and for the obvious love he had for his vocation and the fervent witness he gave to it. Rest now in the love and peace of God!
I offer our sympathy to John McMahon and the community at Fitzroy North, and to Darcy Maybon and his relatives. I express our gratitude to all who have cared for Arthur over the past twelve years, at Kilmore, Fitzroy North and at the Little Sisters.
Written by Br Peter Carroll, SoTS Provincial.
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