Archie Leslie Lickers

LickersJanuary 6, 1933 -September 4, 2026 Archie Lickers passed away at the VA Medical Center at the age of 93. He was visited by all his children and many of their spouses, grandchildren and great-grandchildren just days before his death. He will be greatly missed.

He was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. His paternal grandfather, Archie Elijah Lickers, was elected Chief of the Iroquois Federation in 1924, and Archie spent time growing up with relatives on the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve in Ontario, Canada.

He graduated from Erie County Technical Institute with a degree in Mechanical Technology in 1953. While in high school and college he was on the wrestling team and then played hockey with the Buffalo Bisons, precursor to the Buffalo Sabres, until a broken ankle

ended his career. He married his childhood sweetheart Joyce (Jewsbury) Lickers in 1954. Shortly after their wedding they were

stationed in Germany, where Archie served in the US Army at the end of the Korean War and the Cold War period as part of NATO's Security forces in Europe. After retiring from a successful career in electronics sales he and Joyce moved to Grand Junction in 1983.

He attended Mesa State College, taking classes in Geology where he fostered his interest in rock hounding. He joined the Gem and Mineral Club where he learned his craft of jewelry making and made many pieces of beautiful jewelry for his family. He loved

driving the jeep trails in the mountains, canyons and valleys of Western Colorado and taught a few of his grandsons how to drive his jeep before they were "of age". Whenever asked what he was most proud of he always answered "my kids". He truly enjoyed his family and friends, always looking forward to the gatherings where

many tall tales and beers were shared. His concern for the community was highlighted when he and Joyce started Hope Haven, a home that provided support for young mothers and their children. He was a long-time volunteer at the VA Medical Center, working in the library, distributing books and providing friendship to

fellow Veterans. For a number of years he drove a school bus for District 51, imparting pearls of wisdom to his passengers as only a school bus driver can. After 67 years of marriage, Joyce passed away in 2021 and Archie missed her every day since. His legacy lives on through his six children, Victoria (Mitchell), Mark, Lynn (Wilson), Robin (Maddox), Danette (Morris) and Deanne (Adamson), 15 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. An honor burial will be held at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery on September 29 at 1:00 pm.