Robert R. Clunie passed away suddenly Saturday, May 27 in Saginaw, Michigan. Since the early 1970s, Bob was an active member of the Saginaw Valley Chapter of the Michigan Archaeological Society, serving several terms as Treasurer and Vice President of the Chapter. Bob was also an avid hunter and fisherman and was a charter member of the Saginaw Valley Steelheaders Association. He proudly served in the United States Navy during WW II and he worked as a machine repairman for General Motors for 35 years before retiring in 1985.

One of Bob’s earliest forays into the field of archaeology occurred in 1953 after his wife noticed that his son and young brother had red stains on their hands and clothing after playing in the sand near his home. Upon investigating, Bob located a red ocher cache containing turkey tails, triangular bifaces, stone and copper celts, abraders and several copper beads. The “Clunie Cache”, as it became known, was loaned to the Great Lakes division of the University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology for study. U of M later conducted archaeological excavations at the site.

Bob's dedication and involvement in local archaeology were extraordinary.  Starting in the late 1980s he participated in dozens of survey and excavation projects throughout Michigan. He was especially involved in work conducted in the Tobico Marsh area of Bay County by the University of Michigan and Saginaw Valley State University, and in the archaeological work carried out in the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge by the Historical Society of Saginaw County. Bob could always be counted on to lend a hand whenever things needed to get done, and if a projectile point or other diagnostic artifact was to be found at a site, you could bet that Bob would be the one to find it. More than one of his coworkers can recall fruitlessly screening sediment, only to have Bob walk up to the screen and pick out an artifact. In addition to the many field projects in which he participated, in 1988 Bob began volunteering in the archaeology laboratory at the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History.

Bob not only enjoyed learning about archaeology, he loved to share his passion with others. Wherever he went Bob would strike up conversations, often with total strangers. These conversations invariably led to archaeology, frequently resulting in new information about sites or collections from the area. Bob was especially fond of sharing his love of archaeology with kids. For several years he assisted fellow MAS members Ron Burk and Mike Mauer in providing a hands on archaeology experience for elementary and middle school students. Bob also regularly displayed and talked about his “Clunie cache” and other artifacts for families attending the spring “Timberdoodle Festival” at Hartley Outdoor Education Center.

Bob was a great communicator, but his talents lie more with the spoken word than with the written. Following one of the archaeological field schools he assisted with at Tobico Marsh, Bob was (jokingly) presented with an award for the “cleanest” notebook. He had a tremendous sense of humor. Although archaeological work can sometimes be tedious, Bob always kept it fun with a seemingly endless supply of some of the best stories ever. He talked about growing up in Saginaw, his service during WW II and his years in the shop. A common thread through many of his stories was the various practical jokes and other shenanigans in most of which he seems to have had a direct hand.

Bob will be greatly missed and long remembered by his many friends.