Profile:

Our beloved chaplain, Fred Cabales hails from San Carlos, Negros Occidental. He graduated high school from Colegio de Santo Tomas-Recoletos in 1956. He attended Cebu Institute of Technology (CIT) and FEATI University in Manila. He joined the US Navy in May 20. 1960 at Sangley Point, Cavite and went through boot camp in San Diego, California. His tours of duty would take him around the globe in cities like Seattle, New York, San Juan, PR; Subic Bay, Hong Kong, Yokusaka, Rio de Janeiro, St. Thomas, Naples, Barcelona, Valleta in Malta, Athens, Sigonella, Taranto, Valencia, Marseilles, Cannes, Rome, and Sorrento. After a brief tour at Brunswick Georgia, this globetrotter was off again to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Oslo, Denmark, Frankfurt, Portsmouth, Halifax, The Bahamas, Montego Bay, and Jacksonville. His tours of duty include: the “Hurricane Hunters” of AEWRON Squadron 4, NAS Roosevelt Roads, PR; NAS Jacksonville, USS FD Roosevelt (CVA-42), NAS Glynco, USS Wasp (CVS-11), USS Santa Barbara (AE-28), NAS Cecil Field, and USS Compass Island (AG-52).

Fred is a very active participant not only in the community, but in his church as well. He is one of the founding fathers of FAVS and serves as its chaplain and board member. Among his affiliations are The VIsayas Mindanao Association (VMA), Bayanihan Club, the Filipino Political Action Group, Knights of Rizal, and the Filipino-American Republicans of North East Florida (FARNEF). He also finds time in serving his faith as the head sacristan in his church, RCIA catechist and team member, Kairos Prison Ministry member, Cursillo in Christianity, and along with wife Fannie, he leads wake novenas in the community. He also finds time volunteering for the American Red Cross as Naval Hospital parking shuttle driver.

Fred is happily married for 42 years to the former Fannie Castroverde Ronulo from Oslob, Cebu; a retired PRN, and together they are enjoying each other and their retirement. They are blessed with three children: Cindy, an RN who now lives in Baltimore, MD; and Lou Noel, a chef turned free-lance photographer who lives in LA. Their second child, Bernie succumbed to a Duchene type muscular dystrophy twenty-five years ago at a tender age of 14.