Derek George Wisdom... he moved to Saint John, NB in 1963... he was 90 years old when he passed away in Saint John in December 2024... he was married to his wife Shirley for 65 years (they raised their daughter Terry and son Craig)... growing up, favourites included Aston Villa FC... worked as a teacher in countries including England, Australia, Ghana... worked as principal at Glen Falls Elementary School in Saint John... worked as principal at Princess Elizabeth School in Saint John... worked as a Physical Education co-ordinator for the Saint John School Board...
honoured as a Canada Soccer Life Member... honoured by the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame... honoured as a New Brunswick Soccer Life Member... honoured by the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame and the Saint John Sports Hall of Fame... named in his honour, Soccer New Brunswick’s Widsom Cup... recipient of Canada Soccer’s Aubrey Sanford Meritorious Service Award in 1988... recipient of Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012...
helped lead the Duke of Edinburgh Award program in Saint John (an award for young people that challenges, empowers, and recognizes youth between the ages of 14 and 24)... co-wrote “Soccer for Schools and Colleges” with John Bell in 1969... attended Canada Soccer’s 1978 FIFA/Coca-Cola World Football Development Seminar in Victoria, BC (referees)...
wrote Canada Soccer President Dr. Fred Stambrook in 1988, “Derek has made an outstanding contribution to the development of the game not only in New Brunswick and the Atlantic Provinces, but also across Canada as Chairman of the Canada Soccer Referees Committee”...
wrote Peter McGuire in 2006, Wisdom was known as “New Brunswick’s father of soccer, a superstar in his own right when it comes to organisation, officiating, coaching and administration”... as noted in his 2024 obituary, “Derek’s devotion to soccer reshaped the sport in New Brunswick. As the founder and President, among many other positions, of the New Brunswick Soccer Association, he was instrumental in developing the sport at all levels within the province”...
played for Wales youth team...
served on Canada Soccer’s Board of Directors (2000-01 to 2005-06 as well as 2011-12 for New Brunswick)... served as Head of Delegation with Canada Soccer’s National Teams from 2001 to 2005, including Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying in 2003 and 2004...
helped reestablish the New Brunswick Soccer Association in 1965 and served as its first secretary-treasurer... served as president of the Saint John Youth Soccer Association (starting in 1975)... served as President of Soccer New Brunswick....
served as Chairman of Canada Soccer’s Referees Committee... served as a Canada Soccer Referee Instructor... served as a Canada Soccer Referee Assessor... served as Referee-in-Chief for the Atlantic Soccer League... served as a member of the Concacaf referees committee (1981-88)...
served as Vice President of the organising committee for the 1985 Canada Summer Games... served as Vice Chairman and worked as the Venue Operations for the Saint John Site at the FIFA U-16 World Tournament Canada 1987 (FIFA U-17 World Cup)...
