Manuel Arca IV

1955 - 2021

Manuel Arca IV
September 25, 1955 - June 4, 2021
Redland, Florida - In Loving Memory of Manuel Arca IV
As many of you have probably heard or gathered by now, my beloved Manny has passed away from this life and into the next. I've been wanting to make this post in his honor, and I wanted it to be just right, just for him. Of course, words are hard to come by when you are grieving the love of your life, with whom you have spent the last 21 years. Especially when they were SO FULL of life. But if anyone deserves it, it's my Manny.
And if you knew Manny personally, as many of you did, you probably already know that this Tribute is about to get a little snarky/sarcastic. Just as Manuel was in life, so he will be celebrated in death. Ha. He would have loved it.
My beautiful husband, Manuel Arca IV, was a man among men, with a heart that was quite literally as big as his ass. Truth! When he first met me, I was an obnoxious, 20-something-year-old trust fund baby with a huge chip on my shoulder and a feeling that I needed to prove something to the world. From the beginning, Manny was the mature one in the relationship (LOL). He was the nature-loving, animal-loving type who filled that chip on my shoulder with his love and reality of what the world could bring me. He was as down to earth as it got, brutally honest about anything and everything, which is exactly what I didn't know I needed.
Manny was an amazing person all around, and through and through. He was the hardest worker I knew, and he loved even harder. As the oldest of three boys, he immigrated from Cuba at the tender age of five. With his family by his side, Miami quickly became home. Throughout his life, Manuel worked his ass off to get to where he was. He overcame so much, and didn't allow anyone to dictate who he was or where he was going (except for me, of course). If he had a goal in mind, he set out to accomplish it. It's just who he was, and it's just one of the reasons I loved him so much.
He kick-started his career in 1980's Miami by becoming a model on the local scene. He was a University of Miami grad, and it was during these years that he cultivated countless friendships that would prove to last throughout the decades. When he inevitably moved up into the field of talent management, he believed more than anyone in his roster of talent, being both their biggest fan and their best critic. This inner drive to push both himself and the actors under his guide would serve him well throughout the years. He had a snarky way of talking, it's true; but everybody really did enjoy him because of his brutal honesty; it was a sign of just how much he truly cared. He inevitably managed his own division for actors, becoming a casting director and filling his portfolio with Lifetime Movies and other feature films.
Perhaps Manny's greatest accomplishment in life, however, was putting up with me for the past 21 years. He loved me unconditionally, and God, how I loved him. He was a good guy; he loved his mother, he loved my mother, he loved everyone he met with a passion. But he loved me the most :) Well, me and every single animal who happened to cross his path! Animals held a huge place in Manny's heart and life…and if you knew him, you easily knew this! He got his great love for animals from his mother. Whether they were furry, scaled, or feathered, it didn't matter. Rare plants and exotic animals, especially rare breed dogs, were an interest we both shared. We both shared a passion for ensuring that these fur babies were well taken care of, whether they were our own babies or homeless ones we passed by in the street. Manny especially had this deep-rooted desire to save them from whatever he knew was missing in their life.
Manny had an insatiable need to live life to the fullest, and so one of the ways we did this was by travelling the world. To faraway places such as India, Asia, and Europe. He was a lover of the ocean, so we often found ourselves in destinations surrounded by the deep blue. Scuba diving was a favorite activity. And no matter how outspoken and sarcastic he may have been on the outside, on the inside he was the most thoughtful person I knew. And oh so smart. He loved the poet Shel Silverstein, and often referred to me as his "missing piece."
Now, he is my missing piece.
When Manuel was first diagnosed with cancer in September of last year, the outlook was initially good, and we started the journey together with the mindset that we were going to beat it. And it was with this mindset that Manny continued to live every day, fighting ruthlessly with all that he had, even when things took a turn. We did everything right. We researched and researched. We started off with treatment at Miami Cancer Institute and eventually moved to MD Anderson in Texas. Even so, I don't think either of us ever thought this day would actually come.
On June 4th, it did come. We were at home at Farm Life. It was morning, 8:17am. It was as if he wanted to at least start another day, just one more time, before saying goodbye. Sounds like something he would do, honestly. I am happy to say that it was very peaceful. There was no suffering. He was with me, his life partner and best friend, and he was surrounded by all his fur babies – everyone he loved the best in the world, in other words. Totally surrounded by love and protected by us to ensure that his passing was as easy as possible. It was just us, as it had always been – the perfect pair until the end.
There's an old saying that goes, "When you pass on, you find all the things you have lost." Now that I have experienced the great loss of my love, I know this to be true. Manny may already be in heaven by now, but I know he is looking down, telling me to take care of our babies and continue with my life, forging ahead. And that he will see me again soon.
I would like to say a special thanks to Manny's many friends and family who helped us along our journey these past several months. They are countless – but you know who you are! While I did everything I could financially and both legally (and illegally) to help the man I loved, it was all of your support and confidence in us that served to hold us up high above all the noise. I would especially like to thank Mary and Felipe Canales for being our rocks in the last part of this year. And of course, my sweet mother-in-law, who is 90 years old this year. I thank her for bringing my husband into this world in the first place. You are still in good hands.
Last but not least, Manny my beautiful husband, I want to thank you. Thank you for all the years of utter love, inspiration, joy, lessons, and sarcasm. Your humor and your heart will be missed forever (as well as your big ass, I can assure you). May you be at peace and surrounded by love, until you're in my arms again. And then, even more so. I love you.
TL;DR – My precious husband went to heaven, after a long fight with cancer, on June 4th. I love and miss his sarcastic ass terribly.
In lieu of flowers, any donations to Zoo Miami / Zoo Miami Foundation would be greatly appreciated. His husband will match any donations made in Manny's memory.