North Pomfret, Vermont

John Lowell Putnam of North Pomfret died unexpectedly of natural causes in his sleep on Sunday, October 27.  He was 67.

John attended Woodstock schools in the early 1970s while living with his grandparents Rockwell and Isabella Stephens in South Woodstock and later Holderness School, Middlebury College and Vermont Law School.  While he was a partner at Stebbins Bradley Wood & Harvey in Hanover, he and his wife Janine progressed from raising beef cows to organic dairy farming and the manufacture of highly esteemed Thistle Hill Farm Tarentaise Cheese on the former Clifford Farm on Caper Hill.  They also raised four children and a great many pigs, chickens and dogs.

John had many talents and interests, including public affairs, cooking, forestry and sailing in Maine.  He ran for the Vermont House and served on the town planning commission, as a school board member, town agent, volunteer firefighter, and was proud to have earned his merchant marine card.  He was an extremely talented ice hockey player and skier, and enjoyed riding ponies and dirt bikes in his earlier years.

John was a natural and energetic leader in his professional life as a lawyer and a farmer, and in his personal life with family, friends and neighbors.  He could be a tad impatient, but he also was funny, honest, generous and protective, galvanizing everyone around him to work hard and play hard.  He enjoyed long chats with other farmers, milk truck drivers and pretty much anyone whom he encountered on the farm, at the dump or on other forays.  In recent years, he invariably was accompanied by his beloved dog Lulu.

John was predeceased by his parents, Augustus and Susanne Putnam.  He is survived by Janine and their children Lindsey, Andrew, Ian and Caleb; Andrew's son John; siblings Katharine Bennett, Sarah Putnam and David Putnam; stepmother and sisters Barbara Putnam, Elisabeth Schmitz, Catherine Bise and Susannah Amiteye; and numerous additional close relatives across four generations.

The family gathered for a private memorial November 2 and plans to host a larger celebration in the spring, with details to follow.  The family would welcome donations to the Pomfret Fast Squad in John's memory.

An on-line guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com