Beverly Archer Rawles died peacefully Tuesday, September 17, 2019, in her Upper Arlington, OH home at the age of 89.
Beverly was born January 14, 1930 in Murray City, OH, to Gilbert and Wilma (Bennett) Archer. She received a PhD in adult education from The Ohio State University, MS from Western Reserve University in library science, BS from Capital University in biological sciences. She worked as an adjunct professor of library and information science for Kent State University for eight years. For 25 years Dr. Rawles worked at Battelle Memorial Institute, developing large information systems in various fields of technology. Her work at Battelle contributed to the early development of the database concept and she was at the forefront of the use of computing technology as a method for organizing information. Later she worked as a contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy, developing a large computerized system for data related to the storage and retrieval of nuclear waste. She was also very interested in aggregating scientific people and resources to assist with infrastructure issues common in underdeveloped countries. She married Henry A. Rawles, Jr. (Hank) of Suffolk, VA in 1959, and they enjoyed a house near the water in Virginia Beach.
Passionate about dogs, Beverly adopted many dogs – and people – into her family and was likewise adopted into many people’s families. She was an avid reader and enjoyed traveling, gardening, hiking, and fishing. She has been described as “brilliant, inventive, and completely singular in her approach to life.” She enjoyed helping others and analyzing problems. A long-time customer at Tansky Toyota in Zanesville, she was very generous in donating her used cars to those who needed vehicles. At the age of 67, Dr. Rawles embarked on the study of piano and became a Patron Member of The Ohio Music Teachers Association, with the goal of helping music students and teachers excel. She developed a love of early music and became a supporter of The Early Interval and the Early Music in Columbus concert series. She also studied the harp.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Henry, and brother Robert C. Archer. Survived by her brother Gilbert Edward (Marjorie) of Dresden, OH and their sons John (Laura) Archer, James (Paula) Archer, and Richard Archer (Sandy) and his children Alex, Avery and Ashlyn Archer; niece Lynn Alison Archer of Portland OR and grand-nieces Catherine Archer-Flo and Lily Archer-Flo; nephew David Hendryx Archer (Christina) of New York, NY; and many friends, including her two long-time piano teachers, Cynthia Adams and Janice Cook; and Ed Edinger, (and his husband David Fletcher) who provided outstanding care to Beverly during the last nine years of her life.
A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, January 11, 2020 at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2151 Dorset Road, Columbus, Ohio 43221. Reception to follow. Donations can be made to Hospets PO Box 1063 Marysville, OH 43040 (www.hospets.org); or the Beverly A. Rawles Fund for Music Instruction at The Columbus Foundation, 1234 East Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43205 (columbusfoundation.org) Thanks to Home Care Assistance of Columbus; Capital City Hospice, Columbus, OH; and O.R. Woodyard Funeral Home.
