IN March 2012, Rev Glen Archer admitted in an interview with the Jamaica Observer that his two-and-a-half-year battle with chronic kidney disease had taken a heavy toll on his health and finances.

At the time, Rev Archer, who excelled as a spelling and quiz coach, was undergoing dialysis treatment twice per week at a cost of $18,000.

But Archer, true to his resilient nature, said he would not let the illness stop him from doing what he does best.

“I have not let it deter me at all,” he said. “My kidneys are not doing so well but they are not gone. My doctors say they are at about 30 per cent and can bounce back at any time as long as I stay on the routine.”

That interview publicised Archer’s lobby for a Caribbean-wide spelling tournament — an idea that, he said, was not receiving traction from potential sponsors.

His intention in staging such a competition was to highlight the region’s academic excellence while bringing much publicity to participating companies.

He also suggested that the competition could be held in summer in a different country in the region each year, and that the winner of the US National Spelling Bee could be invited as a guest speller.

That dream never came true for the 61-year-old Archer, and the resilience he displayed in the face of his chronic illness expired when he drew his last breath early yesterday morning.

Coach Midas, as he was labelled in a Sunday Observer interview many years ago, died at the University Hospital of the West Indies where he was admitted late last year.

His condition had worsened when he contracted the chikungunya virus.

Since his illness became public, friends, colleagues, former students and associates had established an account for donations to be made to offset his medical expenses.

Known as a demanding and meticulous coach, Archer prepared 23 national spelling bee champions in 26 years — a record that is not likely to be matched anytime soon. He also guided Ardenne High School to three of its four titles in the Schools Challenge Quiz.

But he achieved international acclaim in 1998 when his charge, Jody-Ann Maxwell, created history by becoming the first non-American to win the prestigious Scripps Howard Spelling Bee in the United States.

Archer held an honours degree from the Jamaica Theological Seminary. However, he spent most of his working life teaching at Ardenne, having joined the staff in 1978.

“I believe it’s a calling I have. The experience of teaching led me into coaching where I could help youngsters achieve their goals,” he told the Observer in that March 2012 interview.

He had been involved in spelling contests from his boyhood days at Harbour View Primary, where he became champion boy for St Andrew in 1965 and placed sixth in the annual spelling bee.

“I was a very aggressive speller, attacking every word. The competition was won by Amorelle Morrison of Manchester High,” he recalled.

But Archer also achieved success in sports, as he was manager of Ardenne’s football team for 10 years, culminating in 1991 when the school gained its only lien on the prestigious Manning Cup.

“It seemed that everything that I touched at Ardenne was a success,” he said.

Yesterday, Ardenne’s Principal Nadine Molloy described Archer as a meticulous man who was very passionate about his job and who was well respected by students.

Molloy said that Archer brought “a tenacity of purpose to the quiz and Spelling Bee competitions”, having successfully coached three winning quiz teams at the school and more than 20 Spelling Bee champions from schools across Jamaica.

She said despite having left Ardenne he remained an integral part of the school family.

“When we found out he was very ill, the sentiments were very high and we rallied around him in whatever way we could, and we will rally around his family in whatever way we can now that he has passed,” she said.

“His name will forever be linked with Ardenne. He will be sorely missed,” Molloy added.

The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), in a joint statement from Opposition Leader Andrew Holness and the party’s spokeswoman on education Kamina Johnson Smith, expressed sorrow at Archer’s passing.

“Reverend Archer was a dedicated educator, one who set high standards and maintained them. This, I am sure, is what led to the historic achievements of his young charges at the World Scripps Howard Spelling Bee Championships,” Johnson Smith said.

“The outpouring of love and rallying of support as Jamaicans learnt of his illness is testament to the regard the country has for his recognised capabilities,” she added.

Holness, who was education minister in the previous JLP Government, said: “We shall certainly miss his advice, his sharp critical humour, and guidance which he offered to me as minister of education. His passage has left a gap, given the many contributions he made towards delivering programmes of excellence in the education sector.

“On behalf of the leadership and members of the JLP I extend condolences to his family.”