Archie Whatley, Jr. was born September 23, 1940, in Chattanooga, Tennessee to the late Archie Sr. and Lillie M. (Williams) Whatley. His four siblings preceded him in death: Cora Lee Moreland, Noris Whatley, Gladys J. Jefferson, and Evelyn J. Whatley. He passed away peacefully on September 19, 2024, at the Ohio Hospice of Dayton.

In the early 1950s, Archie and his family relocated to Dayton, Ohio. He was guided in his education through the Dayton Public School System. Archie embarked on a nontraditional route and earned his GED at age 16. Afterward, he joined the United States Air Force and was honorably discharged in 1962. On his return to Dayton, He met the love of his life Wilhelmenia Thompson, and they wed on December 28th, 1963, in Oakland CA. They celebrated 57 years of marriage until her death on May 29th, 2020.

Archie was a hard worker and entrepreneur. In 1964, he began working for Delco Moraine, a division of General Motors, where he retired after 25 years of service. While at Delco, Archie returned to school, at Sinclair Community College, where he earned his associate in business administration and received his Real Estate Agent license. Archie’s passion for becoming an entrepreneur was evident. In the late 70’s, he and his wife became proprietors of 3 business ventures. They include West Town Smorgasbord in West Dayton with his sister Cora; Whatley-Terry Construction Company; and Archie Whatley Realty. He was a member of the National Association of Realtors, where he received The Realtor of the Year award. 

Archie and Wilhelmenia worked hard and played hard. They enjoyed bowling, and traveling, and were members of the Dayton Duplicate Bridge Club. As the patriarch, Archie loved spending time with his family and friends, especially with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was a diehard Cincinnati Bengals fan and was a season pass holder for many years. He also enjoyed jazz, bid whist, racquetball, and golf. Archie also studied Tai Chi in his spare time.

He leaves to cherish his memory his four children: Tonya & Dwayne Whatley, Brandi Bell of Dayton, Ohio, and Lisa (Carl) McKenzie of Fayetteville, North Carolina; seven grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; his oldest living friend, Alex Morrow of Dayton Ohio, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.  He will be missed dearly.