Timothy J. Crawford

Tim Crawford, of rural Chippewa Falls, passed away on July 23, 2026, a year after being diagnosed with ALS.

Tim was born, the youngest of four boys, to Marge and Jack Crawford in Minot, ND in 1957. During his childhood, the family moved from Minot to Minneapolis, MN, Chippewa Falls, Flint, MI, and then back to Chippewa Falls, where Tim would graduate from Chi-Hi in 1975.

After graduation, Tim and his high school girlfriend, Linda Johnson, attended Northland College in Ashland, WI. Tim studied science education, wrestled and played football at Northland alongside his brother Dan.

Tim still holds the Northland College record with 84 wrestling victories, and both he and Dan have been inducted into the Northland College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Tim and Linda married in 1978, and a few years later, welcomed a son, Nick, and then a daughter, Brigitte.

Returning back to Chippewa Falls after college, Tim and Linda began their careers as teachers in the Chippewa Falls School District. Tim taught for 35 years, teaching both middle and high school math and science before retiring in 2014. The vast majority of his career was spent as an 8th grade science teacher at the Chippewa Falls Middle School. Tim was a teacher at heart, and cherished his years on the Dolphin Team at CFMS!

Being outdoors, hunting, and cooking wild game were major loves of Tim’s life. Bowhunting whitetail deer, and spring turkey hunting, in particular, captivated him the most. Countless weekend deer adventures connected his family and friends, and kept the family freezers filled year-round. Trips west to Colorado and Wyoming were centered around pronghorn antelope, mule deer, and elk. South Texas also held a special place in Tim’s heart, as he made 20 annual trips to hunt wild hogs in Freer during the summer months.

Tim felt a deep responsibility to properly care for the animals he hunted, and taught the value of properly cooling, butchering, and cooking wild game to anyone who cared to learn.

Tim certainly stayed busy in retirement. He became active again in the Chippewa Bowhunters Club, helped teach youth archery programs, and loved the Wednesday league nights and work days at the range. He picked up the hobby of hand-crafting hunting and fishing knives, annually fished on the Mississippi and duck hunted the Ashland bog. He enjoyed his college buddy weekends, Coach McCreary wrestler lunches, and cooking for small get-togethers like MeatFest and larger special celebrations.

Tim encountered and influenced many people over his years. He coached wrestling, football, and worked incredibly hard to create meaningful science lessons for over 4,000 students in his 35 years of teaching. He worked just as hard to be a respected teacher, mentor, and leader amongst his colleagues. If you knew him in one of these roles, he was as quality a teacher as one could get.

If you knew him as a family member or friend, you know how good of a person he was, too. Whatever the event, from sports to band to graduations, to finding the deer tomorrow at daylight, he was there, no questions asked. He would be the first to help, the first to call, the first to text, the first to show up for you.

We are beyond lucky to have had him in our lives as a husband, father, family member, and friend, and he will be so, so missed.

Tim did not want pity as the ALS progressed. When he was diagnosed, he said “kids who face trouble deserve sympathy, not me.” He and his family kept a perspective of a life well-lived, as hard as it was to do so.

Tim is survived by his loving wife of nearly 48 years, Linda; son, Nick (Steph) of Amery, WI; and daughter, Brigitte, of Reedsburg, WI. He is also survived by brothers, Jack (Marty) Crawford of Socorro, New Mexico, and Dan (Margy) Crawford of Ashland, WI; sister-in-law, Karen Crawford of Camarillo, CA; brother-in-law, Ken (Elaine Atkinson) Johnson of Chippewa Falls; sister-in-law, Laura (Art) Hebert of Chippewa Falls; brother-in-law, Charlie (Liz) Halbleib of Madison, WI; brother-in-law, Pete (Jennifer McBride) Halbleib of Viola, WI; and numerous nieces, nephews, relatives, and close friends.

Tim was preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Marge; brother, Mike Crawford; and great-niece, Laney Zambri.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Chippewa Falls School District Foundation, with “In Memory of Tim Crawford” in the memo line, (PO Box 981, Chippewa Falls, WI, 54729), which will form a scholarship in his name for Chi-Hi graduates going into the field of public education. Or, to the Chippewa Bowhunters, with “Youth Archery Program” in the memo line, (PO Box 574, Chippewa Falls, WI, 54729) to ensure the program Tim so enjoyed will continue for generations to come.

The family would especially like to thank the caregiver team at Interim Home Hospice for their special care in the last month.

A visitation will take place on August 14th from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Pederson-Volker. A Celebration of Life will follow from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the SandBar and Grill, 17643 50th Ave, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729.

If you have a memory of Tim to share, please bring a photo(s) with an attached caption or story to display at the celebration.