Linda Putnam

On May 14^th we said goodbye to the most wonderful mom, grandmother, wife, nurse, and friend, Linda Putnam. She passed away in her sleep after a courageous battle with cancer. Her final words to her family were simple. “ I love you too.”

Linda was born on November 13, 1946, to Asenath and Charles Gregory in Salt Lake City Utah. A life-long member of the LDS Church, she lived most of her life in Salt Lake.

Linda followed a family tradition by attending and graduating from West High School in 1965. After graduating from Holy Cross Hospital School of Nursing in 1969 she followed her passion and began her lifelong career of caring for others as a nurse first at Holy Cross Hospital then for the VA Medical Center in Salt Lake. Her skill and compassion earned her multiple awards over 25 years in the medical field.

Music played a big part in Linda’s life as did her love for children. A talented singer herself, she spent many years in support of her young son Robert as he performed with the children’s singing group The Small World Entertainers. Not only was she and enthusiastic parent traveling with the group as they performed throughout the western US and China, but she also served as an influential member of the group’s board of directors.

On March 21^st, 1992, Linda married the love of her life Nathan Putnam. Their marriage was later sealed in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They spent the next 14 years together sharing long rides and camping trips filled with music and laughs while being surrounded by the natural beauty of Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. They loved writing poetry together and spending as much time as they could with their children and grandchildren. They were proof that true love comes to us when the time is right and the importance of living life to the fullest in the time we have.

Preceded in death by her beloved Nathan, here parents, and her younger brother Charles Jr. Linda is survived not only by her loving son Robert, her grandchildren Liam and Harlowe, step children and grandchildren in Utah and Wyoming, along with nieces and nephews, but also by countless lives she either saved or touched as a nurse and as friend throughout her most extraordinary life.

In memory of Linda, her son asks that you donate in her name to Tracy Aviary in Salt Lake City or to any organization involved in the prevention, treatment, or cure for cancer. Take time to enjoy the beautiful world around you. Listen to music, laugh and sing as loud as you can. Appreciate and care for the animals, the trees, and the people in your life who you love and who love you. That is the best way to remember Linda.