Doris B. Putnam

Waltham – Mrs. Doris (Blanchard) Putnam of Waltham died Monday, November1, 2004 in Caritas Saint Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Brighton after a short illness. She was 93. A daughter of the late Fred and Melita (McPhetris) Blanchard, Mrs. Putnam was a Waltham Public School nurse for thirty-two years until her retirement in 1982. She was born in Danvers and graduated from Holten High School in Danvers in 1928. In 1930, Mrs. Putnam graduated from Nasson Institute in Springvale, Maine and from Peter Bent Brigham School of Nursing in 1936. She had worked for the Waltham Visiting Nurse Association for 7 years before joining the school department. She was a member of the First Congregational Church of Waltham for over sixty years, a life member of the Palestine Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Stars, in Newton, the Hawthorne Rebekah Lodge, a chartermember of the Massachusetts School Nurse Association and a member of Peter Bent Brigham Nurse Alumnae Association and the Retired Municipal Employee Association of Waltham. She was the sister of the late Cora Blanchard, Eleanor Houle, Ervin Blanchard, G. Everett Blanchard and F. Philip Blanchard. She was the beloved mother of two daughters, Sally Green and her husband Russell of Waltham and Cynthia Rich of Tyngsboro. She also leaves eight grandchildren, Dale Fraser and his wife Diana of Waltham, Jay Fraser and his wife Donna of Newport, NH, Rebecca Reed and her husband Thomas of Waltham, Sindia Swederski and her husband Richard of Norton, Vicki Gadolin and her husband Scott of Marietta, GA, Cheryl Sylvester and her husband Mark of Woburn, Ronald Rich and Tammy Rich both of Tyngsboro, five great-grandchildren, Brendan and Matthew Fraser of Waltham, Joshua Fraser of Newport, NH, Erik and Andrew Swederski of Norton, and many nieces, nephews, and many very special friends. Funeral services will be held Thursday at 10:30 a.m. in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte.20), Waltham. Burial will be private. Visiting Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, Memorial donations may be made to the First Congregational Church, 730 Main Street, Waltham, MA 02451.