Alfred Roy Carey was an American aeronautical engineer, former military serviceman, and the father of Morgan, Alison, and Mariah Carey. Born in New York City in 1929, he built a technical career outside public attention and later lived in Brooklyn Heights, where Mariah visited him during her childhood.
Most personal accounts of Alfred come from Mariah’s recollections. They describe a disciplined father who prepared elaborate Sunday meals, owned a vintage Porsche Speedster, and reconciled with his youngest daughter before he died in 2002.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Alfred Roy Carey |
| Born | October 23, 1929 |
| Birthplace | New York City |
| Heritage | Black with Venezuelan family ancestry |
| Profession | Aeronautical engineer |
| Earlier service | Military service |
| Former wife | Patricia Hickey Carey |
| Children | Morgan Carey, Alison Carey and Mariah Carey |
| Died | July 4, 2002, aged 72 |
From Military Service to Aeronautical Engineering
Alfred was born in New York City on October 23, 1929. Mariah described her father as a Black man, while biographical reporting commonly identifies him as Afro-Venezuelan. His Venezuelan ancestry came through his family; he was not born in Venezuela.
As a young man, Alfred entered the military. Mariah later wrote that he sought the discipline, culture, and freedom that military service offered. She also shared a photograph of him in uniform.
After leaving the military, Alfred became an aeronautical engineer. Mariah remembered him as practical and mathematically minded, qualities that shaped his response when she began considering a very different professional future.
Public accounts identify his profession consistently, although they do not provide dependable details about his education, employers, or engineering projects.
Marriage to Patricia Hickey and Their Three Children
Alfred married Patricia Hickey in 1960. Patricia, who later used the name Patricia Carey professionally, had trained as an opera singer. The couple had three children: Morgan, Alison and Mariah.
Their interracial marriage faced hostility from both relatives and people in their community. Patricia said her mother rejected the relationship because Alfred was Black. She also recalled the family experiencing racial abuse and violent attacks after moving to a more affluent neighborhood.
The marriage ended when Mariah was about three years old. Accounts differ slightly on whether the divorce occurred in 1972 or 1973, so her age at the time best clarifies the family timeline.
Mariah remained primarily with her mother after the separation but continued seeing her father.
Sunday Visits at His Brooklyn Heights Home
Alfred moved to Brooklyn Heights following the end of his marriage. Mariah recalled visiting him on weekends, particularly for Sunday meals that he spent much of the day preparing.
Those meals often included Italian food and became some of her most specific childhood memories of him. His household was structured, and Mariah associated his strict approach with his military background. She also remembered smaller expressions of that discipline, such as being expected to finish one drink slowly when they ate at a restaurant.
Alfred owned a vintage Porsche Speedster, which he drove around Brooklyn and frequently worked on. The car remained closely tied to Mariah’s memories of her father and later became an important part of how she honored him.
Why Their Weekly Contact Became Less Frequent
As Mariah grew older and focused more on building her career, her Sunday visits with Alfred became less regular.
She recalled that her father did not initially consider her chosen career path practical. His outlook was rooted in a working life built around military discipline, mathematics, and engineering, while her ambitions followed a less predictable route.
Their reduced contact did not end the relationship permanently. Mariah later said that she and Alfred reconnected and spent considerable time together during the final period of his life.
His Death and Mariah Carey’s Later Tributes
Alfred Roy Carey died on July 4, 2002, at the age of 72 after developing a rare form of bile duct cancer. Mariah and her father reconciled in the months before his death, allowing them to address their earlier distance.
She continued remembering him publicly after his death. One of her most visible tributes was restoring the Porsche Speedster he never finished. She presented the completed restoration in 2022, accompanied by photographs with her children.
In 2023, Mariah shared a photograph of Alfred in military uniform for Father’s Day. She marked his birthday later that year with another tribute involving sunflowers.
Alfred’s documented life extends beyond his connection to a famous daughter. He served in the military, worked as an aeronautical engineer, and raised three children during a period when his interracial family faced serious hostility. Mariah’s recollections also preserve a more personal picture of him through their disciplined weekends, Sunday meals, shared memories of his Porsche, and eventual reconciliation.