Virginia Putnam

Virginia (Ginny) Seeman Putnam, 92, passed away peacefully on January 21, 2022, in Akron, Ohio. Born in Toledo, Ohio, Ginny raised three children there in Ottawa Hills and in Wooster, Ohio, before moving to Akron. Ginny graduated from DeVilbiss High School (1947) and Ohio Wesleyan University (1951), where she was an active member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority.

For the past 36 years, Ginny spent her summers at her home in Chautauqua, New York. As a life-long learner, she cultivated her many interests at Chautauqua including, gardening, crafting, and attending daily lectures and performances of the symphony, dance, theater, and opera. She enjoyed shopping for antiques and collecting historical memorabilia about Chautauqua Institution. Ginny welcomed many generations of friends to her front porch where she loved lively conversations, laughter, and a good debate. Chautauqua has become an enduring gift to her family, and each year they will continue to gather there.

Earlier in her life she enjoyed fishing, camping, and skiing, and even took flying lessons to learn how to pilot an airplane. For many years, Ginny loved traveling abroad with her dear friend and sister-in-law, Bev Seeman, renting apartments in Spain and Portugal. A voracious reader of nonfiction, Ginny read at least one book a week for most of her adult life. Even in her last years as her eyesight began to fail, she listened daily to books, podcasts, and news programs.

Ginny was passionate about progressive ideals, women's rights, and environmental issues. Fiercely independent, Ginny will be remembered for her quick wit, sense of humor, style, and always being ahead of the trend.

Ginny was an adored mother to daughter Jill Diamond and husband, Jack, son Peter Putnam, and daughter Kristen Putnam-Walkerly and husband Terry, and beloved grandmother to Matthew Diamond (Jenna), Benjamin Diamond, Abigail Grafmeyer (Keith), Autumn Walkerly, Taryn Walkerly, Dylan Walkerly, Isabella Walkerly, and Austin Walkerly, and great-grandmother to Virginia Diamond, Penelope Diamond and Tiffin Diamond. Ginny is also survived by several wonderful nieces, nephews and their families who kept in touch and expressed their love. Special gratitude to Deanie Thorsell and Linda Honeywell who, in recent years, gave Ginny incredible care, support and friendship.

A memorial celebration of Ginny's life will be held on Friday April 8, 2022 from 4:00 - 7:00 pm at the Cleveland Yachting Club at 200 Yacht Club Drive, Rocky River, Ohio. A second celebration for family and friends in Chautauqua, NY will be planned for July. Contributions in Ginny's memory are suggested to the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy , her favorite local NPR radio station Ideastream Public Radio (or your local NPR station), or The Smith Memorial Library at Chautauqua Institution (make a note on the form that it's a memorial gift for the Library in honor of Ginny Putnam).