Laban was born in Rotterdam on 7 September 1925. From 1946 to 1967, he was a civil servant for the Rotterdam municipality in the Department of Education, Youth Affairs, and Training. On 18 December 1967, Laban succeeded Wouter van der Gevel after the latter's death.[2]
On 5 September 1997, Laban died in Sorrento, Italy, after a heart attack.[2]