WASHINGTON — Fenn Putman, the former chairman of the Public Securities Association and vice chairman of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, passed away on Sunday, June 8, at the age of 80.
Born in Brookline, Mass., on Aug. 1, 1933, Putman spent his childhood in Longview, Texas.
He received his BA from Northwestern University and an MBA from the University of Missouri.
He also was a captain in the Marine Corps.
Putman moved his family to New Jersey to pursue a career on Wall Street in the municipal bond market.
During his 40-year career, Putman worked at W.H. Morton, American Express, Solomon Brothers, Dean Witter Reynolds, Lehman Brothers and O'Brien Partners.
He was a member of the MSRB from 1989 through 1993 and was its vice chair in 1991.
"He was a consummate professional, always acting with the utmost integrity and treating people with respect," said MSRB executive director Lynnette Kelly. "He was well-respected and admired throughout the industry."
Kit Taylor, who was the MSRB's executive director when Putman was on the board, said he was saddened at the news of Putman's death.
"He was a good board member," Taylor said.
In 1994, Putman chaired the PSA, a predecessor group to The Bond Market Association, which later merged with the Securities Industry Association to become the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.
"Fenn Putman was an extraordinary person, a great leader, a great friend and a great member of the public finance community (and a pretty good golfer, too)," said Micah Green, former TBMA executive vice president who is currently a partner at Squire Patton Boggs LLP. "He will be missed, but his good humor and his love of the municipal bond business will surely live on. His leadership in The Bond Market Association was one of the highlights of my career. I will miss him dearly."
Active in his community, Putman was president of the Mendham, N.J. Township Board of Education and a leader of the outreach program for the Church of St. John on the Mountain.
But his pride and joy was his over 40 years of dedication to the Frost Valley YMCA in upstate New York, according to his family. He was the longest serving member of the board as a trustee, president of the board of trustees, and was chairman of the board when he died. That organization released a statement praising Putman for his "hands-on approach" and remembering him showing up for summer camp check-in days as he watched, often welling up with emotion, returning campers embrace their counselors.
"We remember Fenn Putman for his capacity to push onward when the search seemed grim, to inspire others with his vision and his commitment, and to be inspired by what others might take for granted," the group said.
Putman had a passion for golf, friends and family. He was preceded in death, in 2009, by his wife, Mary Jane or "Sis" as she was called. He is survived by his son James, his wife Susan and their daughters Grace and Claire of Bernardsville, N.J., daughter Missy and her children Caroline and Andrew Fink of Pelham, N.Y. and son, Jeffrey and his wife Jenny and their children, Audrey, Emily and Harrison of Westport, Conn.
A memorial service will be held at St. John on the Mountain, 379 Mt. Harmony Rd. in Bernardsville, N.J. on June 19 at 2:30 p.m. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, please send any remembrances by donation to Frost Valley, YMCA, 2000 Frost Valley Rd., Claryville, N.Y., 12725 or
