Passages: Eldon Godfrey, Longtime Influence in Diving World, Dies at 91
Diving Canada mourns the passing of Eldon C. Godfrey, O.C., a remarkable leader, volunteer, official and ambassador whose lifelong dedication helped shape the development of diving in Canada and beyond. Godfrey passed away on September 26 at the age of 91.
Eldon’s involvement in diving began in Calgary in the 1970s when his daughter, Allison, began competing in the sport. What started as a parent’s involvement quickly grew into an extraordinary lifetime of service. Within just a few years, Eldon was elected President of the Canadian Amateur Diving Association, a position he held from 1976 to 1980. He later served as President of the Aquatic Federation of Canada and represented Canada in leadership roles at the national and international levels.
His influence extended well beyond Canada. Eldon served for 13 years on the FINA Bureau (now World Aquatics) and for 16 years on the FINA Technical Diving Committee, including as Honorary Secretary and Vice Chairman. He also held several leadership positions with the Union Americana de Natación (now Pan Am Aquatics), ultimately serving as its President from 2007 to 2011.
Over the course of his career, he served as an official or as a member of the jury of appeal at eight Olympic Games. He officiated at four World Championships, eight World Cups and three Pan American Games, while also contributing as an international clinician and mentor.
In recognition of his exceptional contribution to sport and to his community, Eldon was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2019 and invested in 2022. The honour recognized his decades of service to diving and his leadership in promoting Canadian sport on the international stage.
Eldon was also inducted as an Honor Contributor into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2012. Among his many distinctions were the FINA Gold Pin, the Canadian Sports Award, the Alberta Achievement Award and the Calgary Booster Club’s Sportsman of the Year Award. He was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
His contribution to diving was also a family endeavour. Eldon’s late wife, Carlie Jean, was deeply involved in supporting his work and was herself an active volunteer in sport and in the community. Together, Eldon and Carlie Jean received Diving Canada’s Irene McDonald Award for Volunteerism to Diving, recognizing more than four decades of service to the sport.
Carlie Jean was described by her family as a dedicated volunteer who supported Eldon’s international sporting commitments and travelled the world alongside him. Eldon’s standard remark about CJ was:
“Anything I have ever done that has been deemed worthy of recognition was as much Carlie Jean’s work as mine.”
For generations of Canadian divers, officials, coaches and volunteers, Eldon Godfrey represented the very best of what service to sport can mean. His leadership, generosity and commitment helped strengthen Canadian diving at every level, from the local pool in Calgary to the international stage.
Diving Canada extends its deepest condolences to Eldon’s family, friends and the many members of the Canadian and international diving communities whose lives he touched.
His legacy will continue to be felt throughout Canadian diving for years to come.
Celebration of Life
A celebration of Eldon’s life will be held on November 1, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Summit View United Church in Calgary, Alberta. Family, friends and members of the community are invited to come together to remember and celebrate his remarkable life and legacy.
The event will also be livestreamed:
Livestream:
https://youtube.com/live/XappUTDfy2k?feature=share
Eldon Godfrey has made prodigious contributions to the sport of diving. Beginning as a parent volunteer over 40 years ago, he has since become an internationally acclaimed diving judge and official. He has both served and promoted Canadian sporting interests and values on the world stage with dedication and integrity, notably through his leadership of the Fédération internationale de natation and the Unión Americana de Natación. An exceptional role model and generous volunteer, he remains active and engaged in the sport at all levels.
Eldon Godfrey – 2012 ISHOF Contributor
Eldon Godfrey’s International Swimming Hall of Fame Honoree Acceptance Speech
Link to Biographical Information of Eldon Godfrey – 2012 ISHOF Contributor
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Eldon was a valued, trusted colleague whom I deeply respected and admired. As the FINA Bureau Liaison to the Technical Diving Committee, he brought leadership and integrity to the sport. Athletes, judges, and coaches loved and respected him for his extraordinary dedication and good judgment, and many of the most important advances in diving competition over the past thirty years resulted directly from his remarkable efforts.
Dale Neuburger – World Aquatics Treasurer
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Eldon was a kind and thoughtful leader of aquatics in Canada and internationally. He was the person one turned to for sage advice. Eldon will be sorely missed by the aquatic community.
Cheryl Gibson – World Aquatics Bureau Member (Canada)
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I knew Eldon from years of service on the FINA Technical Diving Committee. He was the liaison to the FINA Bureau and he provided guidance to the Committee that was led by the Chair, Kathy Seaman of Canada. He was a person of character who could be trusted to do what he said. That simple but rare quality is what made him a great leader in the sport of diving. He was guided by his faith and his wonderful wife, Carlie-Jean, who was always by his side.
Steve McFarland – Past President of United States Aquatic Sports and Member of the FINA Technical Diving Committee