Carolyn Spock

1946 - 2025

Carolyn Spock
February 25, 1946 - February 1, 2025
Carolyn Spock, a beloved figure in Texas archaeology, passed away on February 1, 2025, in Austin. Born in Fort Worth in 1946, she excelled in the city's public schools and graduated at the top of her class from North Side High School in 1964.
She attended Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri, for two years before transferring to The University of Texas at Austin, where she earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in archaeology. Her thesis focused on precontact architecture at the George C. Davis Site, now known as Caddo Mounds State Historical Park.
Carolyn devoted her life to advancing archaeology in Texas. She worked at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (TARL) for 40 years, retiring as Head of Records in 2011. For many, she was the first person they met at TARL, and her warmth, encouragement, and curiosity inspired countless students and professionals.
Her extraordinary memory and decades of service made her an unmatched resource, able to locate records instantly and recall details of projects from every corner of the state. Her support made other researchers' work stronger, and her unique spirit will be deeply missed.
In 2020, she received the Mark Denton Career Achievement Award. The Texas Historical Commission honored her for years of service as the "keeper of site numbers" before the system went digital. She also had a sharp editorial eye - someone you wanted reviewing your manuscript.
Carolyn's influence reached far beyond TARL. She served on the Advisory Committee of the Texas Archeological Stewards Network (TASN) for many years, offering thoughtful feedback on every nomination and providing steady mentorship to her peers.
A long-time member of the Texas Archeological Society (TAS), she served on numerous committees, held office as secretary and later president, and was a fixture in the lab at the TAS annual field school. TAS recognized her with the Distinguished Service Award (1996), named her a Fellow (2010), and presented her with the President's Service Award (2012).
She also led the Travis County Archeological Society for many years and chaired the Council of Texas Archeologists, where she served on its Curation Committee.
Outside archaeology, Carolyn was an animal lover who befriended cats, wild and domestic, and supported animal welfare organizations.
Survivors include her older brother, Karl Spock, and his wife, Heidi Shanklin-Spock, her younger brother, Paul Spock, and his partner, Vicki Ray; her cousin, Margaret Dunnington, and her husband, David Dunnington; her cousin, John Booth, and his wife, Patti Richard, and other cousins, extended family members, and friends too numerous to mention. She also will be deeply missed by her neighbor and close friend, Karla Dunda, who always looked out for Carolyn's wellbeing.
A memorial service will be held at University Presbyterian Church in Austin on September 14th at 2:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Best Friends Animal Society at https://bestfriends.org/, or the Texas Archeological Society at https://txarch.org.