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Esther Elliott Putman ’36

Esther Elliot Putman ’36, August 31, 1995, in Clifton Park, New York. She received a BA from Reed in psychology, and then an MA in personnel management from Syracuse University in 1941. In 1949, she married Ivan Putman and shortly thereafter they moved to Gainsville, Florida, where he was adviser to international students at the University of Florida. They moved to New York State in 1962, when Ivan took a position with the State University of New York, and they later purchased a home near Albany. For most of her life, Esther was a homemaker, raising three children, one of whom had polio as a child, and participating in many community activities. She was active in the League of Women Voters and the Episcopal church, where both she and her husband sang in the choir. She helped establish a local library in her community and for eight years worked part time as a librarian. After Ivan’s retirement in 1985, the couple continued to be active in the church, and they spent time gardening and attending music and theatre events. Ivan died in 1994. Survivors include two sons, a daughter, and two grandsons.

Appeared in Reed magazine: February 1996

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