26.7 C
Belize City
Thursday, March 28, 2024

World Down Syndrome Day

Photo: Students and staff of Stella Maris...

BPD awards 3 officers with Women Police of the Year

Photo: (l-r) Myrna Pena, Carmella Cacho, and...

Suicide on the rise!

Photo: Iveth Quintanilla, Mental Health Coordinator by Charles...

Walter Craig, owner/manager of Dit’s restaurant, dies at 59

GeneralWalter Craig, owner/manager of Dit’s restaurant, dies at 59
The owner and manager of popular Belizean restaurant Dit’s Restaurant and Saloon on King Street, Walter Oliver Craig, 59, aka “Mr. Dit’s,” died suddenly on Wednesday night at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH).
 
The long-time diabetic was, according to his family, getting the disease under control with a better diet and exercise, losing weight and joking that “I feel like I’m seventeen.”
 
Things took a sad turn after a trip to Cayo for a birthday party this weekend. After he returned home to the City, he fell down in the bathroom at his residence, located above the restaurant. His family called in Dr. Daniel Godinez, who recommended a hospital stay.
 
According to his daughter, Alisha Craig, “Mr. Dit’s’” blood pressure was low and his insulin reading slightly high when admitted, but they left him on Monday night in the emergency ward in good spirits.
 
Unfortunately, on Tuesday morning, doctors reported that his kidneys were rapidly failing, and he was moved to the Intensive Care Unit.
 
Despite a brief improvement on Wednesday, his pressure could not be stabilized and he passed away around 9:30 p.m.—but not before many of his friends dropped by to visit.
 
Dit’s (named for his aunt, Mavis Yearwood aka Aunt Dit), opened in 1953 as a grocery store and panades shop, across from its current location at #50 King Street. (The family owned other businesses in the area, and Craig was born and raised on King Street). It eventually moved across the street, to #50, after the house was sold by its former owner.
 
Since then, based on the hard work and support from the community for Walter and his late father, the business has retained its place as a favorite for Belizeans of all stripes, famous for its locally-made dishes and tasty pastries, which Walter Craig, himself, used to often serve.
 
Another of his daughters, Rhondine Craig, told us that her father was determined to please whenever a customer came in.
 
“He made you feel at home; he was ‘a people person,’ he loved the Belizean people. He always told me, ‘It’s not the people from abroad that keep us in business, but the people that live here.’ He loved what he did,” said Rhondine.
 
That love kept him going for the next four decades, with rarely a day of work missed except when he was sick.
 
Craig’s sense of community also led him to quiet philanthropy. His family told us that he often assisted many young people through school, always insisting that they do their best, and he always gave a hand to his many friends in the community, living by the philosophy of “freely ye have received, freely give.”
 
According to the family, even those with a tendency for crime never thought of robbing Dit’s, as they did other establishments.
 
“Even the biggest of bad boys had respect for my dad,” says Alisha.
 
Walter Craig worked hardest to instill that community spirit and exceptional work ethic in his family. Sister Lena Craig-Parham, who also owns a business, remembers how she would worry about the slowdown in business at the establishment, fueled by competition from the cheaper eateries, often owned by Chinese or Taiwanese immigrants.
 
According to Lena, though, Walter would always say, “You have to think big! Don’t worry about the money, it will come from somewhere.” He was also insistent on daily opening hours of 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. while most restaurants and businesses close at 9:00 p.m. Such was his enthusiasm for service, he said.
 
In that spirit of service, the business will continue under family management, although it was closed in mourning on Thursday and today, Friday.
 
Funeral services for the late Walter Oliver Craig will be held on Tuesday, November 22, at 2:00 p.m. at Wesley Methodist Church on Albert Street.
 
He is survived by his ailing wife of 35 years, Yulaine; son – Marlon Craig and daughters: Alisha and Rhondine Craig; 2 grandchildren, brother – Jeffery Craig and sisters: Judith Craig-Gullap, Lena Craig-Parham and Barbara Patten; as well as nieces, nephews, other relatives and numerous friends.
 
The family wishes to thank the staff at the Intensive Care Unit of the KHMH, Drs. Jorge Hidalgo and Daniel Godinez, and Dr. Bernard Bulwer, KHMH Chief of Staff.
 
Amandala extends condolences to the family of the late Walter Oliver Craig.

Check out our other content

World Down Syndrome Day

Suicide on the rise!

Check out other tags:

International