Christopher McNeal Coder, 69, died in Flagstaff, Arizona, after a sudden illness on Saturday, February 22, 2025.

Chris was born October 27, 1955, in Moline, Illinois, to Jack and Beverly Anne (McNeal) Coder. He attended United Township High School and Augustana College, where he studied geology, igniting a lifelong passion for deep history and the out of doors. He followed his love of geology and wilderness to Flagstaff, Arizona, to attend Northern Arizona University, where he earned a Masters' degree in anthropology.

Chris had a magical childhood in Hampton, Illinois, on the banks of the Mississippi River, surrounded by his extended family. He ranged widely with his gang of friends, siblings, and cousins: tomato fights, canoeing and ice skating on the river, and minor mischief all figured prominently. This taught him how to do what he thought was right no matter the rules, a polite way of saying he had a healthy disrespect for authority. Once Chris made a friend, they were generally friends for life, and he still had many friends from this time in his life.

He attended United Township High School (class of 1973), and then Augustana College. Geology field trips to Big Bend National Park and Grand Canyon National Park, and a paleontology field trip to Wyoming while at Augustana developed and solidified his love of the West, wilderness, hiking, and geology. A study abroad semester in Europe fed his reverence for history. Equally important were the many lasting friendships begun at this time of his life.

After a year working at Northwestern Steel and Wire in Sterling, Illinois (an experience he relished and told many stories about), Chris moved to Flagstaff, Arizona, to attend NAU. After graduating, he moved to Bluff, Utah, to work with Abajo Archaeology. He loved survey and had a natural talent for seeing both the landscape as a whole and the tiniest of artifacts. He loved the beautiful, wild landscapes of the Four Corners, and he had so many hilarious stories from this time. He remained firmly attached to the Bluff crowd for the rest of his life, and it became a tradition to spend Easter there with his family.

In 1990, Chris became part of the archaeology staff at Grand Canyon National Park, conducting a survey of the Colorado River corridor in the park, which was done by river raft. The 18- and 21-day trips, especially during winter, were full of challenges of all kinds. He later wrote a book about the findings from this work, An Archaeological Perspective of Human History at Grand Canyon.

It was during this time that he met his wife, Marcelle, and started his small family, which became the focal point of the remainder of his life. He was a devoted husband and father, the best girl dad ever to Hannah and Claire.

Chris began work with Yavapai Apache Nation as tribal archaeologist in the late 1990s; he was with the Nation until his death and had become deeply connected there. He helped uncover and make sense of the complex history of the Nation through archival research, oral history, and archaeology, and he counted as a major success the completion of a 25-year process to affect a land exchange, paving the way for a water settlement—crucial to the future of the Nation.

Chris is survived by his wife of 33 years, Marcelle; daughters Hannah and Claire; brother Tad; sister Ellie (Dan Kosminsky); nephews Jack Coder, Christopher Kosminsky, Michael Esposito, and Jack Esposito; nieces Merry Coder (Kane Keller), Rebecca Richmond (Jared), Amira Aletebi, and Danya Aletebi; sisters-in-law Janine Balenti (Chris), Lorraine Esposito, and Teresa George (Brad Austin); brother-in-law Terry Glaeser, Jr.; fathers-in-law Terry Glaeser, Sr., and David Umlauf (Anne Tavel); and many beloved cousins and friends.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, George and Mary Ellen (Cook) McNeal, Harold William and Gertrude Marie (Duncan) Coder; parents, Jack and Beverly Coder; mother-in-law Adrienne (Hill) Glaeser; uncles Harold Coder, Clifford Coder, and Rocky Nelson; aunts Mary Jane Nelson, Bette Eggerichs; cousin Sue Coder; and niece Katee Coder.

There will be a celebration of his life on March 15, 2025,1:00 pm at High Country Conference Center, Flagstaff, Arizona. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to his favorite non-profits:

Xerxes Society: https://gifts.xerces.org

Grand Canyon Conservancy: https://www.grandcanyon.org

Verde Valley Archaeology Center and Museum: https://www.verdevalleyarchaeology.org