Marian "Polly" Fuller Archer
Marian Fuller (Polly) Archer died on July 18, 2025, in Radford, Virginia.
Polly was a beloved daughter, sister, wife, and friend. Her lifetime career as a reference librarian in public and academic libraries gained her decades of grateful patrons who often became her dear friends. She worked in libraries in Madison, Wisconsin, Pacific Grove, California, and Radford, Virginia, making close friends wherever she lived.
Polly was born on October 30th, 1946, in Detroit, Michigan to Marion Fuller Archer and Leonard Benjamin Archer, Jr. She grew up in Vermont and Wisconsin, where she graduated from Oshkosh High School in 1964. She graduated from University of Wisconsin Madison where she went on to complete a master’s degree in Library Science. She worked for several years as an art and music reference librarian at Madison Public Library, combining her love of music with her commitment to libraries.
In 1981, she married Lawrence Gaber. They moved to Pacific Grove, California where Polly was a beloved reference librarian for many years at Pacific Grove Public Library. In their later years, Polly and Larry moved to Dublin, Virginia. Polly worked at Radford University’s McConnell Library.
Polly was active in the Madison, Wisconsin Friends Meeting (Quakers) and the Blacksburg, Virginia Friends Meeting.
Friendship was a primary value in Polly’s life. She traveled from the Midwest to California to Virginia to England visiting friends. She was a kind and considerate host when they visited her. She maintained lifelong friendships with high school friends from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, college and professional friends from Madison, and colleagues and patrons from Pacific Grove and Radford.
But first, Polly was a sister. She is survived by sisters Ruth Archer (Homewood, Illinois), Jane Archer (Birmingham, Alabama), and brother Benjamin Archer (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). Polly shared sister Ruth’s deep love of music. In Polly’s last years, Ruth drove from the Chicago area with her cello and her son Ethan to perform a concert for Polly and her community at Commonwealth Senior Living. Polly also shared Jane’s and Ben’s love of books and reading.
Polly’s siblings are deeply grateful to the staff of Commonwealth Senior Living Community Center in Radford, Virginia for the loving care she received in her last home. Ruth and Jane are grateful to Ben for arranging and shepherding her excellent care at Commonwealth.
In addition to her siblings, Polly is survived by nieces and nephews, Diana Archer and Daniel Archer and Caitlin Archer-Helke, Ethan Archer-Helke, and Seth Archer-Helke. She is also survived by stepdaughter Tiffany Frazier, beloved granddaughters Mikaela and Joanna, and great grandchildren Esme and Leon.
Per her request there will be no services.
The Archer family is in the care of Mullins Funeral Home & Crematory in Radford, Virginia. www.mullinsfuneralhome.com
