Chief Justice Archie Lee Chandler (Ret.), age 89, of Darlington, died Wednesday, July 18, 2012 in Mt. Pleasant, SC. Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday, July 21 at St. Matthews Episcopal Church in Darlington directed by Belk Funeral Home. A reception will be hosted by the Episcopal Church Women of St. Matthews immediately after the service in the Parish Hall, and burial will follow in Grove Hill Cemetery, 405 S. Warley Street, Darlington. Archie Lee Chandler was born in Orangeburg, SC on December 16, 1922. He was the son of the late Ella Rowe Dukes and William Eugene Chandler. He was a graduate of Greenville High School, a member for The Citadel Class of 1944, a graduate of George Washington University, and the South Carolina School of Law. Mr. Chandler’s entire class of The Citadel was called to active duty for World War II. He completed basic training at Fort McClellan, Alabama, Officers Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was commissioned a 2nd Lt, Infantry, and assigned to Company D., 271st Infantry, 69th Division, was wounded in action in Germany and the recipient of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. He is survived by his wife of sixty-seven years, Martha Nell Wilkins Chandler, his daughter, Jane Chandler Rouse and son-in-law, Robert Wilson Rouse, grandson, Robert Wilson Rouse, Jr. and his wife, Pendleton Shiflett Rouse of Mt. Pleasant. A great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Wilkins Rouse, was born on March 1, 2012. After Mr. Chandler practiced law in Greenville, SC for five years, the Chandlers moved to Darlington, SC, where he entered practice as a trial attorney. He was very active in civic and community affairs, relating especially to industrial development and technical education. Mr. Chandler was the First Chairman of the Darlington County Development Board, Chairman of the Florence-Darlington Technical College Board and a charter member of the State ETV Commission. He was elected to the SC House of Representatives in 1972, named the Most Outstanding Member of the Trial Lawyers Association in 1974, and recognized as the Professional of the Year by the Darlington Chamber of Commerce in 1976. Mr. Chandler was elected as Resident Judge of the Fourth Judicial Circuit in 1976, Associate Justice of the SC Supreme Court in 1984, and was elevated to Chief Justice in 1994. Justice Chandler received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from The Citadel in 1994. In 1998, he was presented with the DuRant Distinguished Public Service Award by the Bar Foundation to recognize meritorious service to the law and the community. In 2001 the Darlington County Development Board Building was named in his honor. Justice Chandler received The Order of the Palmetto from Governor Hodges on January 12, 2001. Following his retirement from the Judiciary Justice Chandler graduated from the Vocation Diaconate School of the Diocese of SC, and was ordained a Deacon for the Servanthood Ministry on September 2, 1999. He served as Deacon at St. Matthews of Darlington SC and St. Andrews of Mt. Pleasant, SC. Justice Chandler viewed his retirement years as a welcomed opportunity to devote more time to his loving, supportive wife and family. In lieu of flowers his family has requested that memorials be made to The Citadel Foundation, 171 Moultrie Street, Charleston, SC 29409 and to St. Matthews Episcopal Church, 210 S. Main Street, Darlington, SC 29532. An online guestbook is available @ www.belkfuneralhome.com. Visit our guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/ charleston Tags: 1944
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