Pocomoke - Archie C. Lewis, Jr. 74, passed away January 17th, 2021 at Tidal Health-PRMC in Salisbury, Maryland. Archie was born on December 14, 1946 in Charleston, West Virginia, to the late Dr. Archie C. Lewis and Belma Melton Lewis. His family moved to Princess Anne, Maryland, in 1956. Archie graduated from Washington High School in 1964. He then attended the University of Maryland, College Park. After graduation in 1968, he went to work at the Campbell Soup Company in Salisbury, Maryland. In November of 1968 he enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves based in Chincoteague, Virginia, for a 6 year term. In September of 1969 at Fort Meade, Maryland, he met Tom Lankford, who would become a lifelong friend and his employer for 36 years. In 1973 Archie received a call from Tom asking him to come to work for his family's company, S.E. Lankford, Jr. Produce Co., Inc. Archie thoroughly enjoyed working for the Lankford family and felt that they treated him as a family member as opposed to an employee.
In July of 1981 the Lankford company became part of SYSCO Food Services. With the financial backing of SYSCO, the company grew rapidly for sales of approximately $8 million in 1981 to $700 million in 2009, when Archie retired. During that time it was considered by many to be the best place to work on the Lower Eastern Shore. Archie was named Controller when the company joined SYSCO, and at the time of his retirement he was Senior Vice President of Finance.
In 2008, one year prior to retirement Archie joined the Pocomoke Elks Lodge where he would remain an active member until his death. In 2009 Archie started playing golf and joined Winter Quarters Golf Club in Pocomoke where he would remain an active member until it closed in early 2018. He grew to love golf and thoroughly enjoyed playing at Winter Quarters along with many other courses on the Eastern Shore. Archie played over 1,000 rounds from 2009 until his passing.
Archie was preceded in death, in addition to his parents, by his loving wife Shirley Sigrist Lewis in 2005, his sister Rebecca Lewis Dube (Normand) in 1999, his sister Barbara Lewis Taylor in 2020. He is survived by his stepdaughters LeAnna Rantz - Williams (David), and Jill Rantz Marsh; his brother-in-law Bertran Thomas (Tom) Taylor; two nieces, Michelle Taylor Stief (Andy) and Karen Dube Steinhauer (Andy); a nephew, Michael Thomas Taylor (Sonia); and two grandchildren, Brittney Marsh Hanke (Robert) and Logan Marsh.
Private grave side services will be held at Quinton Cemetery, Costen Road, Pocomoke City with a Celebration of Life held at the Pocomoke City Elks Lodge at a later date. In lieu of flowers you may donate to the Pocomoke City Elks Lodge.