ARCHER, William Wharton III, died on July 1, 2021, surrounded by family. Only days earlier, battling both cancer and pneumonia, he cut acres of grass, happy, and typical of the man.
He was born on June 5, 1932, in Richmond, the son of William Wharton Archer Jr. and Mary Ann Lindsay Archer. He attended the Westhampton School, St. Christopher's School and the University of Virginia, where he studied civil engineering. At the University, he was a member of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity and the Eli Banana Ribbon Society and was a manager of the football team. He served in the U.S. Army.
Afterwards, he began working at E.G. Bowles Construction Company, where he would remain for three decades, rising to the top, deeply respected for his expertise, skill and strong ethical and professional standards.
In 1963, he married Ann Harrington and had two sons. They divorced in 1978.
In 1980, he married Alicia Thompson Ruffin and moved to Charles City County, Virginia.
He always cherished being with his family and friends. After he retired in 1984, he and Alicia devoted their time to sailing and to their gardens and orchards in Charles City, as well as to their second home, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. On their sailboat, they sailed the Chesapeake Bay alone as co-captains; with friends, they would sail as far as to Nova Scotia, always again as co-captains. They loved the beauty of the Bay and its towns and they loved the adventure of sailing up the Atlantic.
This love of the water and all of the wildlife that depend upon it led to Archer's active participation in the Lower James River Association. During his period as President of the organization, he helped raise money for an extensive fish ladder near Bosher's Dam along the James River, just west of Richmond - an accomplishment that he cherished taking part in. As a result, American shad, hickory shad, alewife, blueback herring, striped bass and other anadromous fish species have returned to their historic spawning areas.
Alicia died in 2008, and he gave up sailing, bereft. He could only sail with her. He maintained their house in Florida for years and took care of their gardens in Charles City until the very end (with the forever gratitude of the family - and him - to master gardener, Cindy Boucher).
He was a member of the Commonwealth Club, the Fishing Bay Yacht Club in Deltaville, Virginia and the Lauderdale Yacht Club in Fort Lauderdale, among other organizations.
Many of his family, friends and acquaintances thought that he was the funniest person they had ever known.
Archer is survived by his sister, Mollie Bain Archer Payne; his first wife, Ann Harrington Archer; his sons, Guy Harrington Archer and Lindsay Pleasants Archer; his daughter-in-law, Michelle Hardy Archer; his stepsons, Archer Harrison Ruffin Jr. and Timothy Winn Ruffin; his stepdaughter-in-law, Sarah Clinger Ruffin; his stepgrandchildren, Carrie Phillips Ruffin, Archer Harrison Ruffin III, Eleanor Brinton Ruffin, Lydia DuPont Ruffin and Katherine Williams Ruffin; his nephews, George Harrison Payne and William Wharton Payne; his niece, Adair Archer Payne McGiffin; and his special friend, Elizabeth Seydel Morgan.
A memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 25, at Westover Church, 6401 John Tyler Memorial Highway, in Charles City, Virginia.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, at (800) 478-5833, or to the James River Association (formerly the Lower James River Association), at https://thejamesriver.org.
He was born on June 5, 1932, in Richmond, the son of William Wharton Archer Jr. and Mary Ann Lindsay Archer. He attended the Westhampton School, St. Christopher's School and the University of Virginia, where he studied civil engineering. At the University, he was a member of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity and the Eli Banana Ribbon Society and was a manager of the football team. He served in the U.S. Army.
Afterwards, he began working at E.G. Bowles Construction Company, where he would remain for three decades, rising to the top, deeply respected for his expertise, skill and strong ethical and professional standards.
In 1963, he married Ann Harrington and had two sons. They divorced in 1978.
In 1980, he married Alicia Thompson Ruffin and moved to Charles City County, Virginia.
He always cherished being with his family and friends. After he retired in 1984, he and Alicia devoted their time to sailing and to their gardens and orchards in Charles City, as well as to their second home, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. On their sailboat, they sailed the Chesapeake Bay alone as co-captains; with friends, they would sail as far as to Nova Scotia, always again as co-captains. They loved the beauty of the Bay and its towns and they loved the adventure of sailing up the Atlantic.
This love of the water and all of the wildlife that depend upon it led to Archer's active participation in the Lower James River Association. During his period as President of the organization, he helped raise money for an extensive fish ladder near Bosher's Dam along the James River, just west of Richmond - an accomplishment that he cherished taking part in. As a result, American shad, hickory shad, alewife, blueback herring, striped bass and other anadromous fish species have returned to their historic spawning areas.
Alicia died in 2008, and he gave up sailing, bereft. He could only sail with her. He maintained their house in Florida for years and took care of their gardens in Charles City until the very end (with the forever gratitude of the family - and him - to master gardener, Cindy Boucher).
He was a member of the Commonwealth Club, the Fishing Bay Yacht Club in Deltaville, Virginia and the Lauderdale Yacht Club in Fort Lauderdale, among other organizations.
Many of his family, friends and acquaintances thought that he was the funniest person they had ever known.
Archer is survived by his sister, Mollie Bain Archer Payne; his first wife, Ann Harrington Archer; his sons, Guy Harrington Archer and Lindsay Pleasants Archer; his daughter-in-law, Michelle Hardy Archer; his stepsons, Archer Harrison Ruffin Jr. and Timothy Winn Ruffin; his stepdaughter-in-law, Sarah Clinger Ruffin; his stepgrandchildren, Carrie Phillips Ruffin, Archer Harrison Ruffin III, Eleanor Brinton Ruffin, Lydia DuPont Ruffin and Katherine Williams Ruffin; his nephews, George Harrison Payne and William Wharton Payne; his niece, Adair Archer Payne McGiffin; and his special friend, Elizabeth Seydel Morgan.
A memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 25, at Westover Church, 6401 John Tyler Memorial Highway, in Charles City, Virginia.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, at (800) 478-5833, or to the James River Association (formerly the Lower James River Association), at https://thejamesriver.org.
ARCHER, William Wharton III, died on July 1, 2021, surrounded by family. Only days earlier, battling both cancer and pneumonia, he cut acres of grass, happy, and typical of the man.
He was born on June 5, 1932, in Richmond, the son of William Wharton Archer Jr. and Mary Ann Lindsay Archer. He attended the Westhampton School, St. Christopher's School and the University of Virginia, where he studied civil engineering. At the University, he was a member of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity and the Eli Banana Ribbon Society and was a manager of the football team. He served in the U.S. Army.
Afterwards, he began working at E.G. Bowles Construction Company, where he would remain for three decades, rising to the top, deeply respected for his expertise, skill and strong ethical and professional standards.
In 1963, he married Ann Harrington and had two sons. They divorced in 1978.
In 1980, he married Alicia Thompson Ruffin and moved to Charles City County, Virginia.
He always cherished being with his family and friends. After he retired in 1984, he and Alicia devoted their time to sailing and to their gardens and orchards in Charles City, as well as to their second home, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. On their sailboat, they sailed the Chesapeake Bay alone as co-captains; with friends, they would sail as far as to Nova Scotia, always again as co-captains. They loved the beauty of the Bay and its towns and they loved the adventure of sailing up the Atlantic.
This love of the water and all of the wildlife that depend upon it led to Archer's active participation in the Lower James River Association. During his period as President of the organization, he helped raise money for an extensive fish ladder near Bosher's Dam along the James River, just west of Richmond - an accomplishment that he cherished taking part in. As a result, American shad, hickory shad, alewife, blueback herring, striped bass and other anadromous fish species have returned to their historic spawning areas.
Alicia died in 2008, and he gave up sailing, bereft. He could only sail with her. He maintained their house in Florida for years and took care of their gardens in Charles City until the very end (with the forever gratitude of the family - and him - to master gardener, Cindy Boucher).
He was a member of the Commonwealth Club, the Fishing Bay Yacht Club in Deltaville, Virginia and the Lauderdale Yacht Club in Fort Lauderdale, among other organizations.
Many of his family, friends and acquaintances thought that he was the funniest person they had ever known.
Archer is survived by his sister, Mollie Bain Archer Payne; his first wife, Ann Harrington Archer; his sons, Guy Harrington Archer and Lindsay Pleasants Archer; his daughter-in-law, Michelle Hardy Archer; his stepsons, Archer Harrison Ruffin Jr. and Timothy Winn Ruffin; his stepdaughter-in-law, Sarah Clinger Ruffin; his stepgrandchildren, Carrie Phillips Ruffin, Archer Harrison Ruffin III, Eleanor Brinton Ruffin, Lydia DuPont Ruffin and Katherine Williams Ruffin; his nephews, George Harrison Payne and William Wharton Payne; his niece, Adair Archer Payne McGiffin; and his special friend, Elizabeth Seydel Morgan.
A memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 25, at Westover Church, 6401 John Tyler Memorial Highway, in Charles City, Virginia.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, at (800) 478-5833, or to the James River Association (formerly the Lower James River Association), at https://thejamesriver.org.
He was born on June 5, 1932, in Richmond, the son of William Wharton Archer Jr. and Mary Ann Lindsay Archer. He attended the Westhampton School, St. Christopher's School and the University of Virginia, where he studied civil engineering. At the University, he was a member of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity and the Eli Banana Ribbon Society and was a manager of the football team. He served in the U.S. Army.
Afterwards, he began working at E.G. Bowles Construction Company, where he would remain for three decades, rising to the top, deeply respected for his expertise, skill and strong ethical and professional standards.
In 1963, he married Ann Harrington and had two sons. They divorced in 1978.
In 1980, he married Alicia Thompson Ruffin and moved to Charles City County, Virginia.
He always cherished being with his family and friends. After he retired in 1984, he and Alicia devoted their time to sailing and to their gardens and orchards in Charles City, as well as to their second home, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. On their sailboat, they sailed the Chesapeake Bay alone as co-captains; with friends, they would sail as far as to Nova Scotia, always again as co-captains. They loved the beauty of the Bay and its towns and they loved the adventure of sailing up the Atlantic.
This love of the water and all of the wildlife that depend upon it led to Archer's active participation in the Lower James River Association. During his period as President of the organization, he helped raise money for an extensive fish ladder near Bosher's Dam along the James River, just west of Richmond - an accomplishment that he cherished taking part in. As a result, American shad, hickory shad, alewife, blueback herring, striped bass and other anadromous fish species have returned to their historic spawning areas.
Alicia died in 2008, and he gave up sailing, bereft. He could only sail with her. He maintained their house in Florida for years and took care of their gardens in Charles City until the very end (with the forever gratitude of the family - and him - to master gardener, Cindy Boucher).
He was a member of the Commonwealth Club, the Fishing Bay Yacht Club in Deltaville, Virginia and the Lauderdale Yacht Club in Fort Lauderdale, among other organizations.
Many of his family, friends and acquaintances thought that he was the funniest person they had ever known.
Archer is survived by his sister, Mollie Bain Archer Payne; his first wife, Ann Harrington Archer; his sons, Guy Harrington Archer and Lindsay Pleasants Archer; his daughter-in-law, Michelle Hardy Archer; his stepsons, Archer Harrison Ruffin Jr. and Timothy Winn Ruffin; his stepdaughter-in-law, Sarah Clinger Ruffin; his stepgrandchildren, Carrie Phillips Ruffin, Archer Harrison Ruffin III, Eleanor Brinton Ruffin, Lydia DuPont Ruffin and Katherine Williams Ruffin; his nephews, George Harrison Payne and William Wharton Payne; his niece, Adair Archer Payne McGiffin; and his special friend, Elizabeth Seydel Morgan.
A memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 25, at Westover Church, 6401 John Tyler Memorial Highway, in Charles City, Virginia.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, at (800) 478-5833, or to the James River Association (formerly the Lower James River Association), at https://thejamesriver.org.
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