Phyllis Natalie Archer

Phyllis Natalie Archer (nee Swayne), 92, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina passed away in her sleep on July 1,2025 in Chapel Hill, NC following a six-month series of illnesses. She was born April 23, 1933 in Palmyra, Burlington County, New Jersey, the daughter of the late Louise and William Swayne. She was married on October 20, 1954, in Ocean City, NJ to the late John Archer.
Phyllis spent most of her life in Ocean City NJ before moving to North Carolina in 1990 to be closer to her daughter Debbie and son-in-law Chris. While she held a variety of jobs, mostly clerical, from high school through her early years in North Carolina, once her granddaughter Natalie was born, taking care of her became her full-time job, which she lovingly said was the best job she ever had. Phyllis loved working with and for children. In Ocean City she was actively involved with Girl Scouts and PTA, running student art shows and antique and craft shows to support the OCHS marching band. In Chapel Hill, she continued her PTA work, now in support of her granddaughter, by volunteering with the PTA thrift shop. Here she built new lifelong friendships. Phyllis also loved arts and crafts and for many years enjoyed knitting christening blankets for newborns at the Hillsborough United Methodist Church. She will be missed by all whose lives she touched.
She was preceded in death by her husband John Archer; her brothers, William Swayne and Thomas Swayne; and by her sisters, May Fry, Naomi Mallory, Clarissa May and Jean Dahms.
She is survived by her daughter Deborah Archer Thomas and son-in-law Christopher Erben Thomas of Chapel Hil, North Carolina; her granddaughter, Natalie Cecile Thomas of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Phyllis's Service of Death and Resurrection will be celebrated at 10:00 AM on July 19 at Hillsborough United Methodist Church (130 W Tryon St, Hillsborough, NC 27278). Following the service, her ashes will be scattered in the church's memorial garden and then we will gather in their fellowship hall for some refreshments.
In lieu of flowers, mom asked that people consider making a donation to the church's Memorial Fund at connecthumc.churchcenter.com/giving/to/memorial-fund