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Caroline Wright Putnam, 86, of Marietta, Ohio, died at her home on November 12, 2016.
She was born on May 12, 1930 named Florence Caroline, to David Sanders Wright and Florence Edna Wright in Northampton, Mass. She was the youngest of five siblings (Catherine Sanders Wright Grandia, David Joy Wright, Charles Merrick Wright and George Edward Wright). Her mother died when she was 7, and she was raised by her father and her older sister, Kate, in a rambling house full of brothers, uncles and adopted stray cats. The house was built in the latter 1600s with pine floorboards hand sawn from a single tree, wooden pegs in the rafters and had survived several French and Indian raids.
Caroline attended Smith College and received a Master's degree in Mathematics from the University of Amherst (now the University of Massachusetts).
She married Robert Ervin Putnam, PhD (Died March 27, 2011) of Leeds, Mass. on August 23, 1952.
She is survived by her sister, Kate; brother, George; and children, David Putnam (JoAnne) of Chapman, Maine and grandsons, Aaron (Katherine) and Ian, Robert Putnam (Lee) of Chicago, Ill. and grandsons, Benjamin (Angela) and Christopher Putnam and grandchildren, Emily Towlerton (Drew), Richard, Douglas (Alyssa), and Michael Jones, Mary Bennett (Jim) of Newport, Ohio and granddaughters, Elizabeth and Catherine and Andrew Putnam (Kimberly) of Denver Colorado and granddaughters, Tessa and Isabella.
Caroline was a woman of immense compassion, piercing intellect, and wry wit. She never complained about the barriers society placed before women, she simply dismantled them with unrelenting energy and a smile. Like her father and siblings, every stray cat found warmth, food and love at Caroline's home. Her compassion for all living things extended to dogs, turtles, spiders, errant children and gardens.
Caroline was a generous spirit and very active in the Marietta community. She was a long-standing member of the League of Women Voters and a stalwart member of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Marietta. She helped to found the Outdoor Education Center, the recycling center and the Empty Bowls Project and spent a number of years at Washington State Community College.
Caroline was always excelling at new things. She learned to play multiple instruments and was a longtime member of the Valley Renaissance Consort. She learned to fly and spent many years as a private pilot. She was a passionate student of marine microfossils. She would eagerly receive packages of foul-smelling mud from various locations around the world and pore tirelessly over her microscope, identifying and photographing glorious shells foraminifera, coccolithophores and radiolaria species.
Caroline thrived on chaos. She maintained a house full of grandchildren, cats, dogs, injured birds, turtles, gardens and spiders. All nature grieves at her passing. She was selfless, uncomplaining and unbelievably stubborn. Her spirit and the goodness she brought to the world will live forever through her friends, family, acquaintances and strangers who passed her on the street.
Services are planned for December 3 at 1:30 p.m. at the 1st Unitarian Universalist Church in Marietta, with a potluck meal following services until 5:30 p.m.
Contributions can be made to the Caroline Putnam Memorial Fund sent to FUUSM, 232 3rd St, Marietta, Ohio 45750. Contributions will be distributed among her favorite charities, including projects mentioned above.
McClure-Schafer-Lankford Funeral Home is assisting the family and messages of sympathy may be sent at www.Lankfordfh.com.