OBITUARY John Harrison Hatch
About the article
This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from December 1993.
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His early years were spent in the small town of Montour Falls, in Upstate New York where the family owned a factory.
John earned his Bachelor's Degree from the Wharton School of Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. It was at this time that he also developed his lifelong passion for history.
A career in business was deferred however when he, like many others, was called to active duty during World War II. John served with the Army Air Corps, rising to the rank of Captain. He spent much of the war in India where he was a part of the massive resupply effort "flying the hump" over the Himalayas.
After the war, John returned to New York State and married a girl from neighbouring Watkins Glen, Beatrice Ann Watkins, known as Andy.
Tired of the long winters and perhaps remembering the warmth of India, John, Andy and their first daughter Bug Bug (Lucinda) moved to Florida in 1948 and it was there that their other three children were born: Chi Chi (Ruth), Bird (Robin) and Quatro (William).
For a time, the family operated a lime and avocado grove in the Homestead Area south of Miami. A neighbour of their's was a Pan Am Executive, Bill Raven, who often talked about a remote island in the Caribbean where Lacsa aircraft had to stop to take on fuel to continue the journey to Costa Rica. Bill was enthusiastic about the island and convinced John and Andy to visit.
The family first visited Cayman in 1955 and stayed at the Seaview Hotel. Mosquitoes and all, a second visit was enough to convince John and Andy that this was where they wanted to bring up their children.
In 1957 the family moved to Cayman, lock, stock and barrel, and bought land on the West Bay Beach where they built a small bar and restaurant. After much discussion, it was decided to call it the Beach Club and initially that was exactly what it was. It was not until 1959 that the first rooms were added and the name was changed to the Beach Club Colony making it the third hotel on West Bay Beach.
Back then tourism was in its infancy but small properties were beginning to appear throughout the island and government was awakening to the fact that Cayman had great potential as a tourist destination.
John was well aware that in order to promote tourism, the hoteliers had to help themselves and it was he who was instrumental in forming the Cayman Islands Hotel Association (now the Cayman Islands Hotel and Condominium Association) and he was its founding president.
John was one of the true pioneers of tourism in the Cayman Islands, with the vision to realize that our most important assets are the friendliness of the Caymanian people and the beauty of the sea around us. It was under his leadership that the association fought against the setting up of an oil refinery/storagefacility at Northwest Point, thus helping to preserve the beauty of the reefs and the island for future generation. John's commitment to the Cayman Islands was total as he even gave up his American citizenship in favour of a Cayman passport.
In 1972 the Hatches sold Beach Club and John went into semiretirement although he still kept an interest in various tourist related businesses run by his family.
John will be remembered by his many friends and employees as a man of great wit, charm, and a legendary temper. He maintained an avid interest in history and continued to read extensively. He was an enthusiastic commentator of the world political scene, and he and Andy were devoted fans of College Football, particularly the Miami Hurricanes. He was respected by all and will be remembered as one of the real pioneers of tourism. He is survived by his wife, four children, ten grandchildren, one great grandchild and two great white cats.
Special mention should be made of the wonderful care John received at the George Town Hospital and in particular from Bea and Nellie of the Dialysis Unit.
Anyone wishing to make a donation in memory of John may do so to the Dialysis Unit or the Veterans Association.
