Arnold Lee Cuddie

He fought a courageous battle against ALS the past 3 years and his resilience to keep going despite knowing there was no cure was a testament to his love for his family.

Arnie was born on January 8th, 1952, in Midland, Michigan to Ellis and Mildred Cuddie. His childhood memories include growing up in his family’s motel and store, his favorite pup Buttons, and spending time at the family’s lake cottage. He graduated from Midland High School in 1970. On May 4, 1973, he married his wife Doris and moved to Denver, CO where he graduated from Denver Automotive & Diesel College. Arnie later earned an associate degree in Electromechanical Technology from Northern Michigan University.

He is survived by his spouse of 51 years, Doris, daughters Hannah (Michael) Picotte of Fort Wayne, IN and Kristin (Daniel) Eden of Marquette, cherished grandchildren Adelynn and Ashton Eden, and grand dogs Harper, Asher and Jake. He is also survived by his older sister, Darlene Cross, along with several nieces, nephews, and in-laws. Arnie was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Ronald and Robert, and his in-laws, John and Lauretta Owens.

For those who knew Arnie, he will be remembered as a talented and determined “fix-it” guy who had an innate ability to understand and trouble shoot any electrical, mechanical, or plumbing issue. He was an engineer at heart and could repair or build nearly anything with basic items he had lying around. In retirement, he kept busy tinkering in the garage or working on house projects and rarely sat down unless it was to watch some of his favorite shows like MacGyver, Texas Walker Ranger or a good old western.

Arnie loved his girls and was truly devoted to them. He spent hours throwing the baseball with Hannah and even started an all-girls’ softball team for her and bought his toys in pairs so that he could snowmobile, 4-wheel or dirt bike with Kristin. He was always “on call” as a dad, willing to drop anything he had going on no matter what time of day or night it was to help or come to their rescue. He will always be remembered for his humorous dad jokes.

His many hobbies included hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, boating, motorcycling, snowmobiling, and 4-wheeling. In 1979 his wife bought him his very first bow which sparked a passion for bow hunting and a 45 year “brotherhood” bond between a group of guys that all came together to hunt and fish. This group of friends met every year at bow camp known as “Camp It’s Brown It’s Down” where since 2017 Arnie held the trophy for the biggest buck.

Some of his family’s more recent memories include his bucket list item of hiking through the California Redwoods, picturesque mountain drives at Yosemite, winery tours and exploring Alcatraz. The family’s last big adventure was to the Smoky Mountains in TN. Despite having ALS, Arnie hiked to the top of the highest point in the Smokies, Clingmans Dome, using walking sticks and a determination that motivated others along the way to keep going.

The family would like to send a special thank you to everyone who helped Arnie fight the fight. A special thank you to neighbors Tim and Kathy Connors for their help and support in the roughest time of Arnie’s life; to Jim and Jeremy Hendrickson for dropping everything to build him a wheelchair accessible deck; to Louie Londo for visiting and praying with him and us, to family and friends for their prayers, visits, cards, food, and loving support that helped make this journey easier on our family. Thank you also to the Henry Ford Medical Center ALS Clinic doctors and staff, UP Home Health & Hospice, ALS Association and ALS of MI. Our family is deeply appreciative for all the care provided.

A memorial service will be held at St. Louis the King Church in Harvey on Thursday, August 29, beginning at 10:30 am until the time of service at 12:30 pm with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring Arnie by directing donations to ALS of Michigan (alsofmichigan.org), ALS Association (als.org), or the Steve Gleason Foundation ALS (teamgleason.org).

Condolences may be expressed online at www.canalefuneral.com.