Marian Prebble (Hon OF)

Hundreds if not thousands of OFs will have known Marian over more than 30 years at the College, stretching from September 1970 through to July 2001.  We are very grateful to Martin Myers-Allen (Hon OF) for providing the following : With great sadness I beg to inform you that our longest serving Head’s PA, Marian Prebble (Hon OF) passed away, at home at 7:24 this morning.  Marian had been ill for a number of months, but passed away peacefully, at home, in Framlingham, with Gwen in attendance. Gwen has been Marian’s ‘rock’ since she left the College and we meet regularly when she comes across from France.

Her funeral was on 2 December 2025 and was very well attended even though she had no family. Gwen Randall did a superb eulogy.

The following is also from Martin :

In Memory of Marian Prebble (Hon OF)
28th February 1937 – 12th November 2025

Marian Prebble’s 31 years of dedicated and loyal service to Framlingham College as Head’s Secretary were nothing short of remarkable. She joined the College in September 1970 as Secretary to Stanley Porter and, by the time she retired in 2001, she had supported—and in many ways mentored—Laurie Rimmer, James Miller, and Gwen Randall.

The bond between a Head and a Head’s Secretary is a special one, and Marian earned considerable trust. Some say she actually ran the College. What is certain is that her knowledge of the school—its systems, its staff, and its alumni—was exceptional. Marian came to the College from very humble and difficult beginnings but, like her mother, she had learned to be strong, independent, and resourceful.

The Heads she supported valued her direct manner, and she became a confidante to them all—none more so than Gwen Randall, the first female member of the HMC Headmasters’ Conference. Gwen cared for Marian with devotion throughout her life. In her deeply moving eulogy at Seven Hills Crematorium on 2nd December, she described Marian as her “soul sister.” In many ways, Marian became part of Gwen’s family, replacing the family she herself never had, apart from her mother. The bond they shared lasted a lifetime.

Many describe Marian as feisty—a quality I noticed immediately when I first met her in 1988. She also loved adventure. To mark her 60th birthday, the Governors presented her with a Parachute Regiment beret and badge after she completed a successful parachute jump.

Marian was a remarkable woman who lived a life truly worth celebrating.