Rosamond P. Putnam

KEENE -- Rosamond Page "Ros" Putnam, 92, died Feb. 16, 2011, peacefully at her home on Court Street.

She was born in New York City, Aug. 1, 1918, daughter of Izola (Forrester) and Mann Page and grew up in Santa Monica, Calif. She graduated from Santa Monica High School. As a young actress, she came to Keene at age 17 to perform at the Keene Summer Theater run by her aunt and uncle, Beatrice and Alfred Colony.

David Putnam of Keene attended a performance, and, when he first saw Ros on the stage, he said to a friend, "That's the girl I'm going to marry." They married in 1938. She abandoned her career in the theater and they began a lifelong collaboration of leadership in the arts, culture and community.

The 1940s brought the births of six children. In 1948 she and her husband moved to their home on Court Street, where they lived for the rest of their lives.

The international expansion of the family business, Markem Corp., the printing technology company, brought the family travel and a sense of world citizenry.This was reflected in Mrs. Putnam's support of the Experiment in International Living in Brattleboro, Vt. She and her husband ran a foreign film festival in Keene to support the Experiment. Their children went abroad on international exchanges and joined the Peace Corps. Over the years, the Putnams hosted a number of exchange students and foreign guests.

Mrs. Putnam was a den mother for the Cub Scouts and was a founder of the Keene Children's Theater. She was active at St. James Episcopal Church.

Mrs. Putnam served as a trustee of the Putnam Foundation for many years and was responsible for its focus on the arts and culture. In the mid-1960s she became involved with the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery and chaired the Friends of the Thorne for many years. This was followed by decades of service on the boards of The MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, and the Saint-Gaudens Memorial in Cornish. In addition she was a devoted supporter of Monadnock Music and the Currier Gallery of Art in Manchester. She was honored in 1991 with Keene State College's President's Outstanding Women of New Hampshire Award.

IN HER LIFE: She is survived by her six children: David F. Putnam Jr. and his wife, Elaine, of Swanzey; Thomas P. Putnam and his wife, Barbara, of Keene; James A. Putnam and his wife, Judy, of Keene; Rosamond Delori and her husband, François, of Lincoln, Mass.; Frederick Putnam and his wife, Susan, of Boston; and Louisa Putnam of Santa Fe, N.M.; 19 grandchildren and their spouses; 27 great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Her husband, David, died in 2006, and her sister, Peg Colony, in 2010. Her other siblings, Izola Page Allen, Arthur Merrifield, Richard Merrifield and Dorothy Home, also died earlier.

SERVICES: There are no calling hours. Funeral services will be held Saturday, Feb. 26, at 11 a.m. at St. James Episcopal Church, 44 West St. in Keene. Fletcher Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 33 Marlboro St Keene is in charge of the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made to the Friends of the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery, P.O. Box 394, Keene 03431.