Archibald "Archie" Jenkins Carmichael

May 19, 1925 - April 29, 2020

May 19, 1925 – April 29, 2020 We lost our dad today, just three weeks shy of his 95th birthday. By most people’s standards, he had a pretty long and amazing life. Dad, the only child of Scottish immigrants, excelled in life. He graduated from University of Michigan in 1948 and, that very night, he proposed to his high school sweetheart, our mother, Robbie English Carmichael. Three months later they began a marriage which has lasted for almost 72 years. With Mom at his side, Dad went to work for Ford and later Chrysler, raised 5 kids, migrated from Detroit to Southfield to Bloomfield Hills and finally, retired to Traverse City in 1986 where they’ve lived an active and happy life for 34 years. Along the way, we, their children, added 5 spouses, 11 grandkids, 8 grand-spouses, 1 fiancé and 8 great-grandkids (so far). What isn’t reflected in the numbers is the fun, the chaos and the love we have all shared. By all accounts, we’ve been a successful family with good fortune, and more importantly, with common values and an unbreakable bond. Just the other night, in the middle of this global lockdown, we were all on a Zoom call together – all of us, from California, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Kansas and all over Michigan, trying to share one small computer screen. Crazy? Yes. Unmanageable? Absolutely. But every single one of us was there if for no other reason than to say “Hi.” A few days later, we lost the anchor, the man who’d been at the center of everything: our father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Dad has always been a giant in our lives, smart, calm and always caring. He golfed, skied, joined Kiwanis, but most importantly he gave us his undivided attention and unconditional love. It didn’t matter why, nor did it matter when, Dad was always there. Will we miss him? You bet, but we’re going to relish what he taught us, cherish our collective memories and love his memory forever. Thanks Dad, for everything.