Tim was an investigator's investigator, and a great guy to chat and network with.  I always enjoyed seeing him at the ACFE meetings and will proudly wear the chapter shirt he gave me at our up and coming event.  Damn, I'm so sad to hear he passed, Mary and all you have my thoughts and prayers.  

Cynthia Hetherington

Colleague and Friend

My deepest condolences to Tim's family and loved ones. He was a great professional, kind person, and a dear friend!

Very Saddened at the unexpected passing of Tim.

Tim was a very good friend to me.

He will be extremely missed.

Rest in peace my friend.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Tim. He was a valued member of our Twin Cities ACFE Board, and his presence will be greatly missed. Tim brought a friendly spirit, insightful perspective, and unwavering dedication to our team. He never missed an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to our goals, and his impact will not be forgotten.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family during this difficult time.

With sympathy,
Jake Denman & the Twin Cities ACFE Chapter

Our thoughts & prayers are with you Mary & Tim’s family.   May God and his blessings be with you during this very tough time.  

Take care,

‘Wayne & Lynda Kroening

My deepest sympathy for your loss. I have known and worked on projects with Tim for many years in both MAPI & ACFE. Tim has always been dedicated to our and treated everyone he came in contact with respect & kindness. Tim has touched everyone that knew him. I send my prayers and heartfelt condolences to Mary and all of Tim's family. I pray that your wonderful memories will help you through this unthinkable tragedy. 

Inge Sebyan Black

The news of Tim's passing has been a shock to a lot of us in the investigative community.  Tim has always been one of the "always be there" kind of guy's.  He was always willing to provide advice and help out.  His sense of humor was always present.  I believe that God had a major investigation that needed to be completed, so he needed to call one of the great investigators to come to heaven and conduct the investigation.  Tim, you will be missed by your family, friends and fellow investigators and clients that you have touched over the many years.  Rest in Peace my friend!

Ed Wunsch

Commercial Reports, Inc.

Tim was one of the most passionate people I know, always advocating for his profession to improve things for everyone. 

He was undoubtedly taken from us too soon. Rest in Peace, my friend!  

Our sympathy and prayers go out to you Mary Ellen.  It sounds like your husband was a great guy, mentor and neighbor.  You can be proud.  Now, God has bigger plans for him.  We hope you find comfort in all the memories and times you shared together.  May Tim rest in peace.  

Rhonda & Joe

Tim was the epitome of a professional investigator and a role model. He provided a reference to the MN licensing board over 9 years ago and has been an inspiration in my career as an investigator since I met him in 2013. His dedication to his colleagues receiving the best of his efforts all the time was inspirational. Tim was a man who believed in creating something larger than himself. Through his dedication to everyone in his life, he made it a joy to spend time with him. Everyone knew Tim, and if you were new, he'd take you under his wing. One of my new investigators had the pleasure of meeting Tim at the Intellenet conference a couple months ago in Texas, and Tim's name was the one that stood out to him. They spoke like new friends, and I said that sounded like Tim!

Tim, we'll all miss your hospitality and sense of humor. Your extroverted personality brought so many people together who are life-long friends.

You've taught us well, we got this now. Rest in peace. 

Kyle Corrigan, M.S., CIFI

Bright Line Investigations LLC

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

My thoughts & prayers are with you regarding Tim's untimely passing.  I recall many PI educational sessions with Tim present. 

Dennis Eberly

ON TARGET INVESTIGATION & CONSULTING, LLC 

Member:  INTELLENET, NCISS 

Dear Mary,

We are deeply saddened to hear about the sudden passing of Tim. We have been neighbors and friends for over twenty years, and during that time, he became more than just someone who lived across the street--he became a part of our lives and community.

Please accept our heartfelt condolence. We will truly miss his presence, our conversations, and the simple warmth of seeing him nearby. Our thoughts are with you and your family during this dificult time. May you find comfort in the memories you shared and the love that surrounds you.

With sympathy,

Xiangyang Zhu

Lijun Niu

Words can not express our deepest sorrow for your loss.   Our prayers are with you at this difficult time.  

It is a shock for me reading this very sad news. Each time I arrived in an intellenet conference, Tim welcome me very warmly. 

All my condolences to tims' family.

He will really miss.

Sincerely yours

Goolam

Tim will surely be missed. He was a great friend and professional colleague. He'll be missed by many MAPI members; investigators and protective agents to only cover a few. He touched us all in so many ways. Thank you for all the laughter and memories. Godspeed my friend. Until we meet again. 

Our condolences to Mary, Aunt Sandy, and Ken. We are deeply saddened and shocked with Tim’s passing. Myself and my brothers vividly remember our times with Tim, especially at the Beach farm as youngsters where we would explore, chase chickens in the coop, get in trouble for playing in the hayloft, get stung by bees after throwing rocks at the hive, and many other memorable times. Our cousin’s passing is way too early and I am personally saddened that I won’t have a great, affable cousin to see at family events any longer. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mary and Sandy. We love you.

Curt and Beth Glaunert 

Mary Ellen we are very sad to hear of Tim’s passing. You have our sympathy. His passing will certainly leave a void. Hoping you lean on friends and family during this difficult time. We are going to be out of town or I would certainly be there on Saturday. Know that our thoughts and prayers are with you. John and Lisa (Schuth) Klees. 

We lost a good one!  Tim was a great friend and will be deeply missed!

My sympathy to you Ken and all the members of your family.  God Bless..

So sorry for your loss Mary Ellen, thinking of you during this difficult time, sending hugs 😘

Tammy and Paul 

Tim was one of a kind. He was the common thread that held our neighborhood friend group together for more than 40 years. Tim always made the effort to reach out and connect again and again. Invariably you could count on Tim to send a text about some event he and Mary would be attending (with at least 4 pictures), or call to invite you to an Iron Maiden cover band at the Northstar. Tim was thoughtful, witty, and he truly cared about the people in his life. I think I can say from the Chase’s, Turner’s, and Sedor’s, JD and myself, you will be missed Braatzy.

Tim was always an interesting person to chat to.  He was keen to be helpful where possible and easily shared his expertise.

When my daughter and her husband purchased a similar home next door to him, He shared photos of his home to enable them to benefit from his wisdom and foresight.

Just recently he looked up legal information for a friend of mine, which was also very helpful.  

My wife and I are greatly saddened by Tin’s early passing and wish his family peace of heart and many blessings as they recall their times together with him.

Tim was one of my favorite neighbors growing up in Rochester Minnesota. Always kind, whenever my siblings and I would play outside in the backyard, we would say hi to Time whenever we would see him and his cute dog. Tim was always a safe presence to have around, and whenever my family was worried about something in the neighborhood, we would know that Tim was around in case we needed his expert PI expertise. As I aged and got ready to go to college, I began to see him less but was still excited whenever my dad and him met up in front of our house so I could go say hi. I regret I will not be able to talk with him again and give condolences to his wife Mary. I will miss you Tim. Thank you for being a calming presence in my life. 

Tim and I started our businesses around the same time, and had a few chances to work together and consult with each other over the years. Last time I spent time with him, we met up at MOA to hang out. I haven’t talked to him in a few years, but I have always valued our personal and professional relationships. He’s definitely one of the good ones. RIP, my brother…

Tim was more than a leader in the Minnesota Association of Private Investigators (MAPI)—he was a mentor, a friend, and an inspiration. His dedication to our profession and his ability to bring people together truly set him apart.

Over the years, across the country, we shared many laughs, great meals, and meaningful conversations at events. Tim had a rare gift—an impressive ability to make everyone feel welcomed, supported, and valued. His leadership and friendship left a lasting mark on all of us who had the privilege of knowing him.

You will be deeply missed, Tim—by me and by so many. Rest in peace, my friend. My thoughts and prayers are with Mary and your family during this time.

Tim Brown
Central Point Investigations, LLC

I’m shocked, saddened  and heartbroken to hear about Tim. Tim sure was a gem. He was always available to chat with me as I started a PI business after being in LE. Tim was eager to help me in any way possible. He shared his professional contract with me to use at a template. Tim worked hard to help us all be the best we could be. He almost always answered his phone when I called him, which was a lot ten years ago. 
My prayers and condolences to his family during this time. 
Leigh Wright Investigations, LLC 

Duluth 

I am so sorry to hear about Tim passing away. I met him through the MN Association of Private Investigators and he always had a contact for us with any questions.  He always stayed on top of everything. Prayers to his family and friends and may he rest in peace.  

Tim was an amazing person and friend.  During my 9 years as Executive Director of Intellenet Tim was always willing to help out at our annual conferences and provided a lot of great humor. I had the privilege to work with Tim on a few investigation assignments and he was always the professional. His involvement in international, national and state associations showed his love for his chosen profession. I will miss our conversations about beagles,  homemade pizza in his outside oven motorcycle racing and many other topics. Tim will be missed, but never forgotten. My condolences to his family.

Tim was our neighbor and the first person to greet us when we moved into our home in Rochester. He was funny, giving of his time and talents, and lived life to the fullest. When my wife and I lost a beloved pet, Tim and Mary were there at our front door with a condolence card and their sympathies. When my children played in the backyard, he was there loking out for them, and offering them vegetables from their garden. Many years ago, he called over the fence to ask if I would give my opinion on the MAPI website, and that led to me getting more involved with Tim and the PI community that loved him, and that he worked so hard to promote and raise up. I anxiously awaited photos of Tim and Mary's trips so I could live vicariously through their travels, and the flags that he raised on his deck every race weekend to show his support for different countries let me peek in on the life of adventure he lived. He will be deeply missed.

I am heartbroken by the unexpected passing of my friend and colleague, Tim Braatz. As the Executive Director of Intellenet, I had the privilege of working closely with Tim over the years, and his professionalism, integrity, and kindness left a lasting impression on our entire membership.

Tim was more than just a valued member of our organization—he was a genuinely great person and a true friend. He brought warmth, humor, and unwavering dedication to everything he did. I’m grateful I had the chance to see him this past April, not knowing it would be our last time together.

His absence will be deeply felt at every future Intellenet gathering, but his spirit will always be with us. On behalf of myself and the entire Intellenet community, our hearts and prayers go out to Tim’s family and loved ones.

Rest in peace, my friend. You will be missed but never forgotten.

—Jeffrey Stein
Executive Director, Intellenet