John G. D. Carden

John Godfrey Dyas Carden, 85, of Point Clear, Alabama, passed away peacefully at his home on December 18th 2020, surrounded by family. John is the son of the late Dyas and Mary Carden of Scarsdale, NY. John grew up in Scarsdale NY, where he was an Eagle Scout and graduate of Scarsdale High School’s class of 1953. John graduated cum laude in 1957 from Harvard College and in 1959 from Harvard Business School. John retired as Vice-Chairman of Ernst & Young LLP in 1995. His thirty years of service with the firm included serving as Chief Financial Officer and Vice-Chairman of the U.S. management consulting practice. He played an integral role in the execution of the successful merger of Ernst & Ernst into Ernst & Whinney; and then the latter’s merger with Arthur Young to form Ernst & Young (EY) in 1989. In retirement, John, a tireless worker and always intellectually curious, was an active member of SCORE, a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Serving on SCORE’s national Board of Directors, John enjoyed the personal satisfaction of counseling small businesses and budding entrepreneurs and received the 2009 Asderau Award for his philanthropic efforts. John was active with the Harvard Alumni Association, serving terms as President and Treasurer and as a member of Harvard’s Gulf Coast Regional Scholarship Committee, where he worked energetically interviewing and promoting an increasingly qualified, interesting and diverse group of candidates from the gulf coast region for admission to Harvard College. John was a past chair of the Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy. John also served as a director and past audit committee chair for the Turner Supply Company of Mobile, AL. John is survived by his wife of 59 years, Sivewright (nee Ollinger), by his three sons and their wives, John Jr. and Debbie Carden, of Port Clinton, OH; Timothy and Susan Carden of Port Washington, NY; and Kevin and Kim Carden of Lake Forest, IL.; by seven grandchildren, and by his sisters, Jennifer Rogers of Princeton, NJ and Patience Beer of Clarkston, MI, and numerous nieces and nephews. John taught us the values of education and hard work, always setting the example for respect and resolve. We will miss his endearing sense of humor and wise counsel. We will fondly remember Dad’s spirited reign over our family dinners and games. A funeral mass is planned for Wednesday, December 23rd at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Fairhope, AL at 11am (central). A memorial service will be planned in early 2021. In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate donations to St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Church in Fairhope, AL, Little Sisters of the Poor of Mobile or The Shrine of the Holy Cross in Daphne, AL.