In Memory

Joan Goodwin (Putney) - Class Of 1947

Joan Goodwin (Putney)

Joan Goodwin Putney (May 15, 1929 - October 20, 2017) was born in Pasadena at Huntington Hospital. The family home was on Garfield Avenue that divided South Pasadena from San Marino. In 1937 the family moved to Lorain Road, in San Marino. Joan and her brother had a wonderful place to grow up in as San Marino was a very small city. There were wide open spaces, orange groves, washes and reservoirs all of which were their playgrounds.

She attended grammar school in San Marino through the eighth grade, then to South Pasadena High School. After high school she went to Pasadena City College and shortly thereafter met her future husband, Bill Putney. They were married in 1948 and started a family and by 1954 had three sons. They built their first home in Glendora in 1954 and lived there until 1970, when they built their second home in Surfside, California, an ocean front colony near Seal Beach.

Joan always became involved with the community she lived in and was the secretary for Surfside Colony for many years. Bill retired from his plumbing profession in the 1980s and they bought their first RV motor home. They both fell in love with the travel opportunities offered in the RV'ing world. By the time they hung up the RV chapter of their lives they had put many hundreds of thousands of miles on four separate motor homes. Most of those miles included a boat or jeep towed behind. They toured all over the USA, Canada, and Mexico for approximately 30 years. During their travels they discovered Borrego Springs and immediately knew this is where they wanted to call home base.

In 1990 they built their third home on Lazy Ladder in Borrego and it became the gathering place for many friends and family over the years. Joan became involved with the community of Borrego. She always had a curious mind and was able to satisfy that by learning about a variety of historical and scientific information. She became part of ABDNHA and then became a volunteer at the State Park Visitors Center; her expertise was lectures on coyotes and retelling Indian lore. She served as a volunteer for years and her name is on the wall at the center under emeritus status. Joan also was an avid gardener and founded a very energetic group in Borrego called 'The Desert Gardeners'. They had monthly meetings during each season for many years. 

Joan had health issues over the last few years and dealt with them with perseverance. She was disabled with a broken back about five years ago and was severely disabled from that incident. She always had a positive outlook and was always fun to be around. She had a great life and a great 69-year marriage to a great guy who looked after her to the end. She died in an Indio Hospital after being there for three days due to a fall.

Her family and friends will miss her, but also know that she is released from her pain. She is survived by husband Bill and three sons, Willie, Ronnie, and Mike, also five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Don Goodwin '49, Joan's brother