Dr. Beverly Byrd Archer passed away peacefully on May 7, 2025. Born in Amelia County, Virginia, on July 7, 1929, he was the youngest of five children born to John Wyatt and Nannie French Dennis Archer. Raised in a third-generation Presbyterian family, he received his early education in Amelia County and graduated as Salutatorian from Russell Grove High School at the age of 16.

Beverly earned his Bachelor of Science from Virginia State University in 1949 and began his professional journey that same year as a Vocational Agriculture Teacher at West End High School in Clarksville, Virginia. On June 18, 1951, he was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War and assigned to Company K of the 502nd Infantry Regiment at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky. Soon after, he was selected for Army Intelligence, completed training at Fort Holabird in Maryland, and was assigned as an Intelligence Specialist to a unit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  During this period, a three-year courtship led to his marriage to Elois Deborah Scott. They wed on November 23, 1952, in Baltimore, Maryland.

Following his honorable discharge at Fort Lee, Virginia (Fort Gregg-Adams), on June 17, 1953, Beverly pursued graduate studies and earned a Master of Science in Agricultural Education, with a minor in Agricultural Engineering, from Iowa State University (ISU) in 1955. He began his higher education teaching career at ISU and later taught at Tuskegee Institute. In 1957, he joined Florida A&M University (FAMU), where he led the Agricultural Mechanics Program and developed nationally recognized instructional tools.

In 1962, Beverly took a leave of absence from FAMU to join the U.S. Foreign Service. After completing training at the Foreign Service Institute, he reported to the U.S. Agency for International Development in Eastern Nigeria, where he taught agricultural mechanization at the School of Agriculture operated by the Eastern Nigeria Ministry of Agriculture. After two years abroad, he returned to FAMU and resumed leadership of the Agriculture Teacher Education Program.

In 1968, Beverly received a faculty development grant from FAMU to pursue doctoral studies at The Ohio State University, where he earned a Ph.D. in 1970. Upon returning, he was appointed Associate Professor and Assistant Dean with earned tenure at both FAMU and the University of Florida. In this role, he helped launch one of the first Cooperative Extension Programs under the revised 1890 Land Grant Act, which expanded services to 17 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

In 1980, Beverly was appointed Dean of the School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences at Virginia State University (VSU). He recruited faculty for the new Department of Engineering Technology and fulfilled international assignments at universities in Kenya, Swaziland, and the West Indies. He was proud to present graduates at every Commencement during his 10-year tenure as Dean, retiring from VSU in 1992.

Beverly's life was defined by service, scholarship, and innovation. He served as an Elder at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Petersburg, Virginia, and was a proud alumnus of Virginia State University, Iowa State University, and The Ohio State University. He received numerous awards for distinguished service and was a member of several civic and professional organizations, including the Agriculture Alumni Chapter of the VSU Alumni Association and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. In 2023, he was honored by the Nu Psi Chapter at VSU for 76 years of dedication and service.

A lifelong aviation enthusiast, Beverly's interest began in seventh grade. His teacher maintained a small library near her desk where he found a book about airplanes. A few years later he would build model airplanes with balsa wood that were powered by rubber bands and eventually miniature engines. He earned his private pilot's license in 1972 and co-owned a 1973 Cessna 172, flying extensively across the Southeast for work and recreation. In retirement, he remained active in land conservation and farming in Amelia County with his son, John. His hobbies included woodworking, electrical and mechanical tinkering, fostering cats and birdwatching.

Beverly was predeceased by his daughter, Beverly Anne Archer, in 1961 and by his beloved wife, Elois, in 2014. He is survived by two sons who continue his legacy of public service, Retired LTC John S. Archer (Antoinette) of Midlothian, Virginia, and Alan K. Archer (Helene) of Newport News, Virginia; three grandchildren, Deborah L. Archer, Charles Q. Archer (Meghan), and JaCari A. Redwine (in guardianship); one great-grandchild, Avery V. Archer; nieces, June M. Archer and Anita C. Archer; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Services will be held 11:00 A.M., Wednesday, May 14, 2025, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 403 Halifax Street, Petersburg, VA. The interment to follow at Virginia Veterans Cemetery at Amelia.

A family and friends visitation will be held from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M., Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at the funeral establishment.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation to the National Audubon Society.  An organization with a mission to protect birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow.  Beverly's granddaughter, Deborah Archer, is the Education Manager for the Huntington, Vermont Office.  A donation link is provided please click the link: https://p2p.onecause.com/birdathon2025/debbie-archer .

J.M. Wilkerson Funeral Establishment, Inc., 102 South Avenue, Petersburg, VA, (804) 732-8911, watch the funeral services live online at www.jmwilkersonsince1874.com.