Alicia Thompson Archer

ARCHER, Alicia Thompson, 71, of Charles City County, Virginia, wife of William W. Archer III, died November 19, 2008. She was born in Pikesville, Maryland, attended Calvert School and Foxcroft School and graduated from Bennett College. Upon the death of her first husband, Archer H. Ruffin, she took over management of the Ruffin family farm, Evelynton Farms in Charles City County, and over the years received many awards for conservation and timber management. Her business years were exemplified by her integrity, honesty and sage practical business decisions. As she turned over operation of the farm to her sons, she took up sailing with her husband and over a 21-year span cruised from Nova Scotia to the Caribbean, often with the Fishing Bay Yacht Club. Her love of the outdoors included not only the water but hunting and fishing with her family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Alberta duPont Thompson and Gough Winn Thompson; and by her youngest child, Michael Quinn Ruffin. She is survived by her husband, William W. Archer III; her brothers, Gough Winn Thompson Jr. of San Diego, California, J. Ames Thompson of Annapolis, Maryland, F. Gurney Thompson of Naples, Florida; her sons, Archer H. Ruffin Jr. and his wife, Sarah, and Timothy W. Ruffin and his wife, Robin, all of Charles City County; and by two stepsons, Guy H. Archer of Moscow, Russia, and Lindsay P. Archer of Shasta, California. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Carrie P. Ruffin, Archer H. Ruffin III, Eleanor B. Ruffin, Lydia duP. Ruffin and Katherine W. Ruffin; and her Scottie dog, Traveler. A funeral service is scheduled for Monday, November 24, at 2 p.m. at Westover Church in Charles City County. In lieu of flowers, Alicia's favorite charity was St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (attn: Memorial Department), 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105.
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.