Timothy K. Perttula

Timothy "Tim" Perttula, aged 71, passed away in the hospital on January 13, 2025 in Austin, Texas with family at his side. He is survived by sisters Rebecca (Michael) Nazaretz, Nancy (George) Johnston, Amy (Gregg) Barry and six nieces and nephews.

Tim was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Norman and Helen (Johnson) Perttula and was proud of his Finnish and Swedish ancestry. The family moved to Boston then Detroit before settling in Shaker Heights, Ohio in 1961 where Tim graduated high school in 1971. He received his Bachelor of Arts at Ohio State University in 1975 and was a lifelong Buckeye fan as well as an avid fan of the Cleveland Guardians, Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Cavaliers. Tim continued his education at the University of Washington, earning a master's degree in 1977 and a PhD in archaeology in 1981. He moved to Austin in 1992 and continued to actively work as the founder and manager of Archaeological & Environmental Consultants, LLC. Tim was a voracious reader and had an enormous personal and professional library.

Tim specialized in Native American archaeology and Caddo Indian archaeology and considered "his most notable achievement to be the working relationship he established with the Nation of Oklahoma peoples." (from Marquis Who's Who)

During his career Tim worked for various firms and universities, including Southern Methodist University, Missouri State University and University of North Texas. He had ties to the Texas Historical Commission, the Smithsonian (National Museum of Natural History and National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC), the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and was on the Smithsonian's Native-approved board to recommend repatriation of Native artifacts.

In 2017 Tim was awarded the Texas Archaeological Society (TAS) Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his scholarly contributions (research and author of The Caddo Nation and The Prehistory of Texas), extensive fieldwork and as the longest serving TAS editor. He also made sustained contributions to the archaeology of East Texas through his work with the contemporary Caddo people for whom he started an archaeological research fund.

A private ceremony will be held in Texas and following a private family memorial, Tim's ashes will be interred in Aurora, Ohio close to his parents. His memory will be cherished by those who knew him; may his legacy bring comfort to all who mourn his passing.

As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions may be made to the Texas Archaeological Society, the Caddo Archaeology Research Fund and the Archaeological Conservancy.