Obituary of Helen Putney

Helen P. (Howell) Putney, a resident of Burlington for over 50 years, passed away at the Wingate at Reading Nursing Home on Saturday morning, March 29, 2008. She was 79 years old. Helen was born in Boston, the daughter of the late William and Julia Howell. She was raised and educated in Charlestown. She was retired from Jordan Marsh department store where she worked as a Customer Service Representative for 25 years. She had previously worked at Polaroid and Sylvania. Helen and her husband settled in Burlington 50 years ago to raise their 5 children. Helen was a volunteer for People Helping People. She was a faithful parishioner at St. Malachy’s Church. She enjoyed bowling and belonged to several bowling leagues. She enjoyed woodworking and was talented enough to make her own kitchen cabinets. She also loved flowers and enjoyed gardening. Helen’s family was the most important part of her life. She enjoyed attending her children’s activities when they were younger and in later years she proudly supported her grandchildren in their sporting events and activities. Helen was the beloved wife of the late Sidney R. Putney. She was the loving mother of Lynne S. Putney & her husband William Duffey, Nancy L. & her husband Michael Martin, Kenneth W. & his wife Debra, Donald F. & his wife Judith all of Burlington and the late Stephen R. Putney. She was the sister of Sebastian Howell of Dracut, Marie Donovan of Orlando, FL, William Howell of Wakefield, Fred Howell of Winthrop, John Howell of Belmont, Ruth Thomas of Cambridge, and the late Thomas, Louis, and Michael Howell. She was also survived by 10 grandchildren. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., Burlington (Exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Wednesday, April 2 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Malachy’s Church, 99 Bedford St., Burlington at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Tuesday 4-8 p.m. Interment in Chestnut Hill Cemetery, Burlington. Memorials in Helen’s name may be made to People Helping People, P. O. Box 343, Burlington, MA 01803. Helen Helen would want us to remember what she was like before the Parkinson’s set in, when she was independent and little stubborn. It was very tough to watch her lose that independence. Whether right or wrong, she made her choices independently. I thank her and my dad for my love of music. While growing up, every Saturday while doing chores, whether it was cleaning or painting, we had great music playing on the stereo that she had bought for my dad while working the 11-7 shift at Poloroid. Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, Mahalia Jackson, and Pete Fountain went through the house. This love of all kinds of music has been passed to our children. I remember one Saturday evening in the summer, with the windows open, that we all sang along with Mitch. It was the early 60s and we knew everyone in the neighborhood. Lynne and I even learned to polka and cha cha in our little living room. Later on, she and my dad spent hours listening to Dixieland and would catch their favorites groups whenever they performed in the area. She always dressed in a classy way, her hair pulled back in a classic bun, and matching earrings to complete the ensemble. She had a poignant way of describing how she looked in the latest couture. She would stand in front of the mirror, turning to get a glimpse of the back, and you could hear voice out of the side of her mouth, that she looked a five pound bag of “blank” in a 2 pound bag. She also put a lot of effort into our little home. She made new kitchen cabinets while taking a woodshop class at Shawsheen Tech and built very nice bookcases onto a wall of the living room. She had great taste and was willing to take some risk with a new paint color. She always opened our tiny house to all of our friends, whether it was mine, Lynne’s, Steve’s, Kenny’s or Don’s. Every Christmas Eve and 4th of July, all of our friends were welcome. One summer when the picture window was broken by a football that went off course, it was taken into stride. She was a great cook and could turn a chicken into a Sunday dinner for 10, complete with home made bread. When the grandchildren came, she would bake the bread into the shape of their initials for holiday dinners. Her Christmas Eve mini sandwiches have become a tradition that we insist on carrying on. As busy as she was with her own five children, including Steve, who was in leg braces and routinely spent time at Children’s hospital, she didn’t think twice about volunteering to drive one of the neighborhood children to Chemo to treat his Hodgekin’s disease. She was proud of her Charlestown roots and every year we would head to the Bunker Hill parade with 10 pounds of the best potato salad in tow. We have so many memories of those days it is hard to believe they occurred in the 12x 12 foot cement back yard of Allston Street instead of 80 acres of some grand estate. There were tougher times too. Steven’s childhood and death brought a lot of challenges. But I know that she and my dad always thought he might overcome them one day. It was heartbreaking for her when his disease got the best of him. After Mom retired, she spent her days visiting her own Mom in the nursing home and enjoying her grandchildren. Helen found great joy in them and was an avid supporter at their sporting events and recitals. She loved taking them to the beach in York and combing the rocks for shells. I know they each have special memories of her and some funny stories too. I hope we all continue to share those memories and stories and think of her when we hear some great music.