Karl Van Duyn Teeter

Distinguished scholar, devoted husband, father, and grandfather, died suddenly April 20, 2007, in Cambridge, at age 78. Teeter was a lifelong humanitarian, devoted to social justice causes, particularly enhancing educational opportunities for young people with limited resources. A linguistic anthropologist, he was a faculty member at Harvard University for 30 years, after receiving his Ph.D. at University of California-Berkeley in 1956. He specialized in techniques for the preservation of Native American Algonquian languages and other endangered languages. Some of this work was celebrated in the recent publication of "Tales From Maliseet Country," University of Nebraska Press, 2007, by Philip LeSourd. For 55 years, Karl was the devoted husband of Anita Maria (Bonacorsi) Teeter, originally of Lawrence, MA. He is survived by his wife and four daughters, Katharine Thomas of Cambridge, MA, Judith Teeter of Pittsburgh, PA, Teresa Sargent of Jaffrey, NH, and Martha Cregan of N. Reading, MA, as well as four sons-in-law, twelve grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and seven step-great-grandchildren. He is also survived by younger siblings Alice Uyttebrouck of Illinois, Laurence Teeter of Washington, John Stephen Teeter of New Hampshire, Martha Teeter of California, and Susannah Nuriel of Washington, as well as fifteen nieces and nephews, and fourteen grand-nieces and grand-nephews. A celebration of his life will be held Saturday, April 28th at 11:00 AM at Keefe Funeral Home, 2175 Mass Ave, CAMBRIDGE, MA 02140, 617-547-5544. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Professor Teeter's name to any of the following organizations: The Endangered Language Fund, 300 George St., Suite 900, New Haven, CT 06511, The Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund, Post Office Box 7307, New York, NY 10116-7307, or the Rosenberg Fund for Children, 116 Pleasant St., Ste. 3312, Easthampton, MA 01027.