Pamela Marie Putney

Graveside funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, April 9, in the chapel at Chippiannock Cemetery, where interment will follow. A celebration of her life will then follow at 4 p.m. on Monday at Gloria Dei Presbyterian Church, 4200 12th Street, Rock Island, where she was a lifelong member. In lieu of flowers and statuary, memorial donations should be made to Gloria Dei Presbyterian Church. Hodgson Funeral Home, Rock Island, is handling arrangements.

Pamela was born on April 3, 1951 in Rock Island, the daughter of Howard L. and Florence M. (Goddard) Putney. She was a graduate of Rock Island High School, received her associate’s degree from Black Hawk College, and earned her bachelor’s of science from Western Illinois University.

In earlier years Pamela worked as a substitute teacher, having taught in the Rock Island School district, the Black Hawk Area Special Education District. She also worked as a teacher at the Alternative School in the Geneseo School District, and the Depue Unit School. Most recently, she served as a director of childcare for ESL children at the Church of Peace United Church of Christ, Rock Island. She was also a Personal Assistant with the Illinois Department of Human Services Rehabilitation Services, providing assistance and home care to the elderly and disabled.

One of her lifelong passions was her church, Gloria Dei Presbyterian, where she had served as an elder and a deacon, in addition of being the Superintendent of the Sunday school there, and holding the office of Clerk of Session. She was active in the Presbytery of Great Rivers as a member of the Camps and Conference Committee, counselor at various camps, and currently on the Nominating Committee. Pam was an active volunteer with Special Olympics for many years. She was a volunteer with the ARC homes. With the start of The Place2B she was a daily volunteer for its first year. She also served as a Girl Scout Leader and Treasurer for the Rock Island Service Unit. She sings with the Black Hawk College Community Choir. Her spare time was spent with gardening, crafts, knitting, cooking, choir singing, and in earlier years, tending to her cats. She was “aunt”, “mother”, and “grandmother” to many children throughout the community.

Those left to honor her memory include her sister and brother-in-law, Marilyn and Joseph DePauw, Geneseo; nephews, Alexander (Kayla) DePauw, El Paso, IL and Benjamin DePauw, Geneseo; niece, Abigail DePauw, Geneseo; great-nephew, Maison, and great-niece, Ember Rose; as well as her extended church family at Gloria Dei.

Her parents preceded Pamela in death.