Frederick A. Archibald, Jr., 95, died on Aug. 18, 2007, after a long illness. He was born on October 2, 1911, the son of the late Frederick A. Archibald of New Rochelle, NY and Helen Fessenden Archibald (Stamford, Conn.).  He spent his young years at Mountain Lakes and Lake Wales, FL and Cotuit, where he spent his days sailing. 

He graduated from Blair Academy (Blairstown, NJ) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, class of ’34, with an ME degree in mechanical engineering.  He was a member of Delta Phi.  He left his job at Pyrofax Gas Co. to join the US Navy Reserves right after Pearl Harbor, and was sent to various radar and gunnery schools at Harvard, MIT and Washington DC.  He was commissioned as Ensign USNR and was assigned to the Boston Naval Shipyard.

In 1942, he met his future wife, Priscilla Alden Crocker of Chestnut Hill, at the Officers’ Club Ball.  They were married six months later.  They spent the rest of the war years in a Beacon Street apartment until the birth of their first son in 1945, and then moved to Chestnut Hill.  In 1948, they built their house in Dedham where they joined the Dedham Country and Polo Club and where their three sons grew up.  Fred joined Jackson & Moreland and finally Raytheon, where he worked on atomic subs in New London and various other places such as Holland.  They bought a summer house on Abrams Hill in Duxbury in 1953.   In 1979 they moved permanently from Dedham to Duxbury.  They joined the Duxbury Yacht Club in 1954.  Sailing and cruising, especially in their 34-foot Tartan. was an important part of life.  For over 25 years, they also chartered a 53 ft. Beneta with two other couples to cruise exotic shores.

After retirement, they traveled to unusual places such as the Dalai Lama’s “Eagle’s Nest Eyrie” in Tibet and to the bottom of Mt. Vesuvius.  Later, with scientific and environmental groups, they viewed the salvaging of the Titanic, Haley’s comet over the Orinoco River in Venezuela and eclipses in the Pacific.  Fred was a reader of many history and science magazines.  At low tide he played golf and was a “divotee,” a Wharf Rat, a member of R.O.M.E.O. (retired old men eating out), and Duxbury EXNAVOS (ex-Naval officers).

He leaves his wife, Priscilla, their three sons, Frederick A. Archibald, III, Andrew Crocker and wife Nancy Welland Davis, and William Fessenden Archibald and wife, Wendy Morrison Bremer and their children.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 16 at 4 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church, 140 Washington St., Duxbury.  A reception will follow.  In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to Jordan Hospital, Plymouth, MA or Duxbury Bay Maritime School.