See you later alligator. On the morning of August 20, 2019, Archie Allen Neisz passed away peacefully at home in Royal Palm Beach, Florida at the age of 95. Archie is survived by his wife of 73 years, Merci, his children, Archie Jr. (Avril) Neisz, Abbie (Dennis) Feuer, Matthew (Sue) Neisz and Angela (Tom) Westhouse, grandchildren Aaron, Brandie, Jessica and Thomas, great-grandchild David and brothers Chuck and David. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend to many. He was a gentleman to all. Archie was born on September 24, 1923 to George and Abbie Neisz in Madisonville, Kentucky. At the outbreak of WWII, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corp. (CCC) and was sworn into the US Navy the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He rapidly advanced in the service and was promoted at sea to Chief aboard the Carrier USS Barnes. Rising to Aviation Boatswain's Chief Super, he served notably aboard the Carriers USS Essex and USS Antietam. During his Navy career he was awarded nine medals including a Purple Heart and numerous battle and campaign ribbons. In 1946, he married Merci DiGiacomo of Norristown, Pennsylvania. After turning down an Officer role, he retired from the Navy after twenty years of service to dote on his greatest love, his wife, and focus on raising their four children. As a civilian he worked for RCA in Moorestown, New Jersey and then Crown Zellerbach in Carthage, New York. Archie loved boating, fishing, hunting, baseball and gardening. He could repair anything with a handful of tools and enjoyed fixing countless cars, bikes, boats, appliances and house fixtures. He was a lifelong Detroit Tigers fan and rooted for Kentucky basketball teams. He constantly pursued improving his formal education, graduating high school while in the Navy and finished a college degree while at Crown Zellerbach. He played a fast game of Sudoku, meticulously made the best Christmas cookies and lived by the maxim, "never, never, never give up". Funeral service will be at South Florida National Cemetery, Lake Worth, Florida on Friday, August 23 at 9:45 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center (www.westpalmbeach.va.gov).
