Tributes paid to finance chief following charity walk death

Tributes have been paid to Scottish motor dealer Arnold Clark’s long-standing finance director Hugh Wallace, who died last month just hours after completing a gruelling charity trek in Spain.

Mr Wallace, 66, passed away on May 19 after the walk on the Camino de Santiago in the north of the country when he took ill.

He had been a director of Arnold Clark Automobiles since 1978 and also MD of Arnold Clark Finance Ltd since 1983.

He had only ever worked for the company, beginning his career with them while he was a student at the University of Glasgow.

Mr Wallace, from Glasgow, leaves behind his wife Patricia and his five children Christopher, Monica, Andrew, Jonathan, and Camille, who are aged between 32 and 18.

A statement from Arnold Clark Finance said: “We are saddened to share the news that Hugh Wallace, managing director of Arnold Clark Finance Limited, passed away peacefully on May 19 whilst on a charity walk in Spain.

“Hugh, who was with the group for more than 40 years, was an incredibly well respected member of the automobile industry and a key figure within Arnold Clark.

“His passion and dedication extended far beyond the automobile industry, touching many, from the charitable organisations he supported to the wider sporting community.

“This is a tragic loss and we offer his family our deepest sympathy. We hope they are able to grieve in privacy during this difficult time.”

Mr Wallace had visited the Camino with friends in 2011 and 2012 raising thousands of pounds for the Beatson Oncology Centre and the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice in memory of two friends who died within months of each other in 2010.

His eldest son Christopher has severe learning difficulties and Mr Wallace sat on the board of the Mainstay Trust, a group that provides support to people with difficulties and operates two residential facilities in Glasgow.

He was also a Trustee of the St Aloysius Charitable Fund. It awards a sum of money each year to St Aloysius School in Glasgow for scholarships.

Away from his charity work and spending time with his family and friends, Mr Wallace was a well-known figure in the motoring business, having worked with Arnold Clark for almost 40 years.

He helped provide a fleet of Ford cars for last year’s Commonwealth Games and earlier this month helped announce Arnold Clark’s three-year car sponsorship deal with the Women’s British Open golf tournament.

The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) also paid tribute to him.

A statement said: “We were very shocked and saddened to hear about the death of Hugh Wallace.

“Hugh was a hugely respected figure in the fleet world and a long standing supporter of the BVRLA and its work.

“He was very passionate about raising industry standards and sharing best practice and he always ensured that key members of the Arnold Clark management team were engaged and involved in BVRLA meeting s and committees.”

Mr Wallace’s funeral is to be held next week at St Aloysius Church in Garnethill, Glasgow.