Archie entered the Army ROTC at 17 years of age. While enrolled at San Diego State University he was called to active duty and stationed at Pearl Harbor. A Pearl Harbor survivor, he continued his service to our country in combat in the European Theatre and Korea. After a total of 22.5 years, he retired as a Lt. Colonel in the US Army Special Forces.
The GI Bill brought him to Tallahassee in 1960 to finish his education at Florida State University, where he obtained his Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral degrees in record time. After obtaining his Doctorate he worked for the Florida Department of Education, then became the first Dean of Students at Tallahassee Junior College. This began an 18 year career with TJC (now Tallahassee Community College) where he retired as the Director of Institutional Research & Systems.
His third retirement came after working for 14 years at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital-a career that had its beginning as a Lifeline volunteer and ended with him being hired as the first director of that program. After “retiring” he continued volunteering in the Lifeline program (along with his wife Jan), installing the personal response systems in a 7 county area in N. Florida and S. Georgia until 2010.
Archie was an accomplished athlete, a Golden Gloves boxer and used his scuba diving skills as a volunteer member of the Leon County Sheriff’s Department Dive Team. He served on the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital Board of Directors for 9 years. He was an active member of East Hill Baptist Church where he taught Sunday School, was the Sunday School Director and a Treasurer, but most importantly where his people skills were put to good use for decades as the Head Greeter & Usher. He was a member of the local Elks Lodge and the Leon County Westerner’s Club.
Sharing Archie’s life was his wife of 65 years, Janice Pridgen Johnston, his daughters Donna Johnston Bixler (John), and Debra Johnston Arnold (Robert), grandchildren Luke Bixler (Juli), Diana Sheppard (Adam), David Arnold, Radik Arnold, and great-grandchildren Noah Channing Sheppard and Aubree Jane Bixler.
Visitation will be from 6-8pm Thursday, December 5, at Culley’s MeadowWood Funeral Home, 1737 Riggins Rd. A funeral service will be held at 11:00am on Friday, December 6, at East Hill Baptist Church, 912 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL. Interment will be immediately following the service at Culley’s MeadowWood Memorial Park, 700 Timberlane Road.
Memorials in honor of Archie can be made to East Hill Baptist Church or a charity of your choice.
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