Christian Maltby

Glamorous, With Grace
Christian Maltby was so handsome that his college friends used him as bait. They would take him to a bar, wait for the girls to flock around him, and then move in to flirt with them. Mr. Maltby was usually too reserved to make any moves of his own. "He was very handsome, but he didn't believe it," said his younger brother, Jason Maltby.

With his dark brown hair, blue eyes and unassuming manner, the elder Mr. Maltby was a reluctant heartthrob who signed with Wilhelmina Models to help pay his way through Fordham. He appeared in Rolling Stone magazine, and on the covers of teenage romance novels. He later became a vice president for currency trading at Cantor Fitzgerald. Mr. Maltby, 37, gravitated toward a quiet life in Chatham, N.J. He spent weekends with his wife, Jane, and their three children, Max, Morgan and Samuel, in the backyard. He was training to be a Sunday school teacher at his church, and liked to read novels that he swapped with his brother.

Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on September 30, 2001.


Christian Maltby, 37, family was his center

When it was time to put her three children to bed the other night, Jane Maltby ushered them outside. "Look for the brightest star," she said, "because that's where Daddy is."

Christian Maltby, 37, was an assistant vice president for currency trading at Cantor Fitzgerald. His 105th-floor office was in the North Tower, the first of the Twin Towers to be struck by planes commandeered by terrorists on Sept. 11.

Friends and neighbors are invited to attend a service at 10 a.m. today celebrating Mr. Maltby's life at Grace Episcopal Church, 4 Madison Ave., Madison.

The Chatham Township resident will be remembered for many things, from his championship swimming days at Bayside High School -- a powerhouse in New York City swim competitions -- to his love for reading that carried him as an English major at Fordham University. But above all, what he loved most was time with his family, said his brother, Jason Maltby of Chatham Borough.

"He just adored his kids," said the Rev. Lauren Ackland, pastor of Grace Episcopal Church.

Mr. Maltby was the father of Max, 8, Morgan, 5, and Samuel, 3.

"He was a very family-centered guy," Ackland said. Two days before the World Trade Center incident, Mr. Maltby was in church, receiving his commission as a Sunday school teacher.

"Basically, he just liked to spend time with his family," said his brother. It was less than a month ago that the two brothers brought their families to the Adirondacks for their annual vacation at their father's Old Forge home.

Growing up in Queens, N.Y., Mr. Maltby worked summers as a lifeguard at Jones Beach State Park to help pay for college. One summer, he was noticed by a fashion photographer, which led to number of modeling shoots, including one that appeared in Rolling Stone during their college years. But as good-looking as his brother was, that is how humble he was, said Jason Maltby.

The morning of the attack, Christian Maltby called his wife to say he was OK. But later, he left a message for her saying, "We're having a little trouble getting off the floor." That was the last anyone heard from him, his brother said.

Mr. Maltby is also survived by his mother, Mrs. Robert Butler of the U.S. Virgin Islands; his father, Thomas Maltby of Syracuse, N.Y.; a brother, Jonathan of East Brunswick; his grandparents, Elizabeth Maltby of Syracuse, N.Y., and Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Kesner of Manheim, Pa.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Chatham Education Foundation, P.O. Box 81, Chatham, N.J. 07928.