Jefferson Dickson Putnam

A visitation memorial get-together for Jefferson Dickson Putnam, 69, West Plains, Missouri, will be held from 2:00 until 4:00 p.m., Saturday, January 12, 2013, in the Langston Street Chapel of Robertson-Drago Funeral Home. 

Mr. Putnam died at 3:05 p.m., Wednesday, December 26, 2012, at Ozarks Medical Center. 

He was born May 3, 1943, at Montgomery, Alabama, to Dr. Dickson and Grace McGinnis Putnam.  He attended West Plains High School and later graduated high school from Cascia Hall, Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1962.  He also attended summer sessions at Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana with three years in the equestrian school featuring the famous Black Horse Troop that participated in the Presidential Inaugural Parade and went to St. Louis University for two years.  On August 27, 1983, he was married to, as he always said, his soul mate, Saundra (Sandy) Reasons Hale.  After having worked for Culligan for several years, he opened his own water treatment company, H2Ozarks, in Doniphan, Missouri.  Jeff loved children of all ages and they all loved him.  He also loved his dog, Tramp, computers and video games with all of his young friends that came to play and visit with him, old cars, photography, music, the Current River and Norfork Lake, fishing with his grandsons and most of all his family, friends and neighbors.  He also loved airplanes and knew the history of most every plane built and as a young man had his pilot’s license.  Jeff’s dazzling smile was ever present and could bring light to the darkest situation.  And, his hugs were wonderful and could heal your heart.  His kind, gentle nature and always wanting to make people laugh, brought joy to all who knew him.  He never met a stranger.  One of his favorite sayings was “no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should” from the Max Ehrmann poem Desiderata.  He was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend to many and will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.  He will forever be in our hearts and memories.

He is survived by his loving wife, Sandy; his children, Jeff Putnam III and wife, Lisa, St. Louis, Missouri and their sons, J.D. IV and Lance; Tamara Putnam, Prairie Village, Kansas and her sons, Zane, Marcus and Dylan Meeks; Lisa Brassfield and husband, Jim West Plains, Missouri and their children, Preslee Sukow, Jacob Brassfield and Jamie Hollingshad, husband Zac; Brian Hale, Harrison, Arkansas and his children, Ashley and Evan Hale; his mother-in-law,  Mae Reasons, West Plains, Missouri; father-in-law, T. J. Reasons, wife, Rita, Sparta, Missouri; brother-in-law, Tim Reasons, Orange, Texas; and three sisters, Michelle Tallent, husband, Jeff, Edmond, Oklahoma, Rosalie Putnam, Marina del Rey, California and Maria Jindra, husband, Jeffery, Colorado Springs, Colorado; and many nieces and nephews and their families.

His parents and brother-in-law, Jim Reasons, precede him in death.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, and may be left at Robertson-Drago Funeral Home.

An Irish wake is being planned by Jeff and Tamara Putnam and their mother, Frances Watkins Wightman, to be held at a later date.  For details on their plans, email [email protected].