Who Was Herb Carnegie

Herbert Carnegie was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1919, following the emigration of his parents from Jamaica in 1912. He had a loving marriage to Audrey Redmon for 63 years, raising their family of four (Goldie, Dale, Bernice, Rochelle) in the North York suburb of Toronto. Since Dr. Carnegie’s death in March 2012 , he continues to be a Canadian icon who remains an inspiration for all who knew him. He will forever be remembered for his legacy of enriching the lives of hundreds of thousands of youth.

In his early years, he was a talented athlete who enjoyed an outstanding career in the Ontario Hockey Association and Quebec Hockey Leagues. He broke barriers and made hockey history by being part of the only “All Black Line” in the semi-pro leagues in the 1940’s. Following his hockey career, he established the first registered hockey school in Canada in 1955. His greatest contribution to society began by including a character development component along with hockey skills training.

Dr. Carnegie was a trailblazer. His vision of justice, fair play and equity of opportunity produced a remarkable code of ethics — the Future Aces Philosophy — that transcended and outlived the hockey school. It became a character building and ethics tool adopted by school boards across the province and continues to be used in hundreds of schools and community initiatives. Dr. Carnegie’s style of leadership was to help change attitudes and lives through positive enrichment.

He is Founder of the Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Foundation with his wife Audrey and daughter Bernice. Since its inception in 1987, their organization has helped countless individuals develop the confidence to become better citizens. Their national scholarship program has awarded more than three quarters of a million dollars to students who engage in humanitarian and community service initiatives through extensive volunteerism.