Entrepreneur Craig Michael Arch passed away on Monday, 5 Dec. at the age of 71.
The founder of Arch Automotive was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer in August this year and after a tough battle with this very aggressive disease and chemotherapy, he could not continue the treatment and the cancer continued to progress.
Just like he dealt with any challenge in his life, these last few months he lived with strength, humour, and a positive attitude, always. In his last days, he was surrounded by his children and granddaughter who adored and looked up to him in every way.
Craig started in the tire business at a very young age with his cousin Jimmy Redding, co-founders of C & J Tires, selling tires from his mother’s basement. When the business grew and expanded into other territories, they changed the name to Maryland Distributors. Craig also served in the Coast Guard until his honorable discharge when his father, H. E. Arch (Junior), passed away after a tragic accident on West Bay Road.
Unfortunately, after his dad’s death, Craig’s dreams of working and living in Cayman needed to veer in a different direction and he joined the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in Maryland. He was proud of his career as a successful store manager, a district and regional leader as area sales manager and trainer. He was truly a top performer and was committed to excellence in the Goodyear brand. Craig also attended Johns Hopkins with a major in business management.
After making the jump to entrepreneurship and founding Bay Area Tire, Craig spent most of his years as an independent Goodyear dealer first in Maryland, then made his dreams come true by owning and operating his 10th location that included Goodyear, Audi and Volkswagen in Cayman.
He touched many lives and made a lasting impact on so many of his associates, colleagues, and customers who became such close friends over the years.
Craig taught all of us to do what is right by living his life with integrity. With two family businesses, some of the best family memories were at the shop on Sundays, where the family would do inventory, prep cars, or cook out after cleaning the bays. Memories that will last forever to those that were close to Craig are having a beer with him after work or even a serious conversation on the septic tank.
While Craig lived the past few months in Maryland, enjoying shrimp salad, crab dip and old bay wings, he spent most of his life living in Cayman – his true love and paradise on Earth.
Whether it was walking in the Cayman Islands Marathon, bumping into a customer while grocery shopping, strutting in the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre’s ‘A Walk in Her Shoes’ every year, enjoying a Rum Point family day and stopping at Starfish Point, going for a Sunday walk on Seven Mile Beach, or having a cold beer at sunset on his back porch, Craig loved everything about small island living and how kind Cayman was to him.
Craig also loved to be at the shop and work alongside his son Chip and daughter Michelle. He had such passion for what he did at Arch Automotive every day, contributing even more to the success of the business. Craig worked with such an incredible group of guys at Arch Automotive who are truly his family – Daley, Bonnie, Amos, Glen, Fred, Olden, Joseph, Mendel and Kidani.
As a father and as a very special pop-pop, Craig was the most unbelievably selfless man and hero, always putting his family first and taking time to listen and love no matter what was happening in his busy day.
Craig is survived by his daughter, Michelle Arch Hydes, his sons Chip and David Arch, his grand-daughter Malia Hydes, his son-in-law, Mike Hydes, his family Maxwell Hydes, Lorraine Gerard and Teri Arch, his sister Susan Hunt, and his closest friends and family Jimmy and Lynn Redding. He is predeceased in death by his best friend Gerry White.
In lieu of flowers, please make a memorial contribution to the Cayman Islands Meals on Wheels at https://www.pledgeasenior.com/.
- Submitted by the Arch family
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