Geoffrey Conrad Carnell
Geoffrey Conrad Carnell was born in St. John’s on January 19, 1915, the son of Andrew and Mabel Carnell. Geoffrey Carnell entered the family business as an apprentice wheelwright at the age of 17. The company, established in 1780, was a diversified business involved in the provision of funeral services and the manufacture and repair of carriages, sleighs and leaf and coil springs.
n 1937, when he was only 23 years old, Geoffrey was named president and managing director of Carnell’s Carriage Factory Limited. In addition to being president of the company, he was also a licensed funeral director and embalmer.
In an effort to stay abreast of changing trends in the automotive industry after WW II, Geoffrey undertook the expansion and modernization of the mechanical operations of the carriage factory. In 1956, he expanded the funeral services offered by his company. In 1974, the company name was changed to Carnell’s Limited and consisted of five divisions -- the funeral home, spring shop, muffler shop, office and warehouse rental and an agency for toys, pools and dozens of other consumer goods.
As well as leading a successful business enterprise, Geoffrey Carnell found time to follow his father into politics. He was elected as a councillor for the City of St. John’s in 1958 and in 1962, was elected as the Liberal member of the House of Assembly for the district of St. John’s north. He was later appointed a judge of the Canadian Citizenship Court of Newfoundland.
Geoffrey Conrad Carnell died on February 15, 1987.