Crowe and members of the York Catholic District School Board community are mourning the passing of Mr. Carnovale on Sept. 29. He had been battling cancer. Aged 52, he was in Italy with his family at the time of his death.

Mr. Carnovale, the board's vice-chair, is survived by his wife of almost 30 years, Maria, and three children, Vincent, Adrienne and Cassandra.

Mr. Carnovale, an independent business owner, was first elected in 1994 and represented Vaughan (Woodbridge, Area 3, Ward 3). In the midst of his battle with cancer, he was carrying out his duties as trustee and also seeking re-election in the upcoming elections.

Crowe said Mr. Carnovale’s dedication to his role as trustee could be seen in his attendance at board meetings, even when he was in the middle of chemotherapy. Board policy is that a trustee who misses more than two meetings in a row can lose their seat. While in Mr. Carnovale’s case, the board passed a motion to allow the five-term trustee to bypass this rule, Crowe said it wasn't need as Mr. Carnovale never missed two board meetings in a row.

Mr. Carnovale embodied the qualities of an excellent trustee: He was loved by the community and kept in mind the interests of the board and the community, she said.

His death, she said, came as a shock to many. A popular trustee, he usually won with about 80 per cent of the vote.

On his web site, Mr. Carnovale wrote about his fight against cancer.

“After five surgeries in less than one year, I feel that I am ready to get back to my daily life routines,” he said “The support has been overwhelming and given me the courage to battle this disease.”

No funeral arrangements have been finalized.