By Ana Rodriguez Soto - The Archdiocese of Miami
Thomas F. "Doc" Carney, a doctor-turned-banker, generous philanthropist and pillar of the Archdiocese of Miami since its earliest days, died Jan. 17, 2017, at age 90.
DELRAY BEACH | A funeral Mass will be celebrated Friday, Jan. 27, at 10 a.m. in Boynton Beach for Thomas F. "Doc" Carney, a doctor-turned-banker, generous philanthropist and pillar of the Archdiocese of Miami since its earliest days. Carney died Jan. 17 at his home in Delray Beach, at the age of 90.
“It’s the end of an era,” said Father Patrick O’Neill, a retired archdiocesan priest who got to know Carney and his family through their involvement with St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens.
Carney served on the board of trustees for many years. He and his wife, Alice, who died in 2005, “were pillars of the early days of the diocese,” Father O’Neill said, referring to Carney as “a superstar Catholic.”
“There’s nobody his age any more who was a founder with Archbishop Coleman Carroll,” the priest said.
An obituary published in The Miami Herald and online at Legacy.com said Carney embodied “the epitome of Irish spirit: a talented singer, great story teller and formidable wit, a hugely charismatic figure, larger than life, loyal and generous to a fault.”
“He gave a lot of money, big gifts, to our high schools, to all sorts of things, without any recognition,” Father O’Neill said. “He not only gave money. He gave his heart, gave his time, gave his all to anything Catholic.”
Born in Lawrence, Mass., in 1926, Carney graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. In 1954, he and his wife moved to Miami, where he opened his medical practice. One of those who commented online thanked him for “taking care of us as kids.”
He was the type of doctor who drove around all day making house calls, said Father O’Neill. “He’d be up night and day with patients coming to their homes. He was an old-time doctor.”
But that very dedication imperiled his health, Father O’Neill said, and on the advice of his own physician he gave up the practice of medicine in 1969. Shortly after, he found another career in business, founding County National Bank of South Florida, Carney Bank of Broward and Palm Beach, and Gibraltar Savings and Loan.
He and a partner, Larry Shields, even acquired the Minnesota Muskies in 1968, bringing the American Basketball Association franchise to Miami and changing their name to the Miami Floridians.
Carney’s charitable involvements ranged from being a founder and board member of Nova Southeastern University's Health Sciences Division to being chairman and founding member of the Dade County Water and Sewer Board, according his obituary. He also was a member of the President's Council of Boston College, where he established a chair; a board member at Villa Maria Nursing Home in North Miami, now part of Catholic Health Services; and a board member of the Patrons of the Arts of the Vatican Museums.
In addition to numerous civic awards, he received an Honorary Doctorate from Biscayne College (now St. Thomas U.) in 1972; the Champion of Higher Independent Education in Florida Award (CHIEF) in 1977; and the St. Thomas University Renaissance Award in 1985.
He also was active in the Knights of Columbus, the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. In 1992, he was named a Knight of St. Gregory by St. John Paul II.
A member for over 40 years of St. Joseph Church in Miami Beach, he joined St. Vincent Ferrer Parish in Delray Beach when he moved to that area in 1998. He is survived by his sons Tom and Peter, who are both attorneys, and Dan, who is a physician, as well as their wives; plus nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild; his sister, Joan, and brother, Daniel, as well as nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will take place Thursday, Jan. 26, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Lorne & Sons Funeral Home, 745 N.E. Sixth Ave. (N. Federal Highway), Delray Beach. The Mass will take place at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 27, at St. Thomas More, 10935 S. Military Trail, Boynton Beach, FL 33436.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Malta Projects of Southeastern Florida, Inc. or the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
