Maureen Breen Putnam

Maureen Breen-Putnam, 62, French teacher, translator and author whose innovative techniques for teaching foreign languages in Chicago public schools earned her the Chevalier Dans l’ordre Des Palmes Academiques, awarded by the French government in 2001, and a nomination for the Golden Apple Award, died Tuesday, June 22, at Northwestern Hospital, said her husband, Dermot Putnam.

The Riverside resident had been diagnosed with breast cancer 23 years ago.

In her 20-year career as a French teacher in the International Baccalaureate Program at Lincoln Park High School, she gained a reputation among students and colleagues as an optimistic funaholic whose creativity extended to every aspect of her work. Her classroom – described by her students as a “wacky museum” – was filled with her cartoons and an eclectic assortment of birds’ nests, Eiffel Towers, owl feathers, shells, pine cones, dried flowers, stones and butterflies, what she called “my Fibber Magee’s closet of objets trouves (found objects)”.

Breen-Putnam described her career as a French teacher as “my hobby, spiritual path, organizing principle and excuse for spending a month of every year in Paris.” She had a simple explanation for the success of her approach to teaching high school students: “When you realize that as a teacher you learn more from your students than they can ever learn from you, you open the door to amazing leaps in confidence and creativity.”

Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, Breen-Putnam grew up the youngest of three children of Edward and Alice Breen of West Beverly. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a master’s degree in French Language and Literature at Eastern Michigan University. She did post-graduate work in French at The Sorbonne in Paris, the Universite de Savoie, the University of Chicago, St. John’s College and Brown University.

In addition to awards for excellence in teaching from the American Association of Teachers of French and the Sheffield Neighborhood Association, Breen-Putnam was decorated in 2001 with the Chevalier Dans l’ordre Des Palmes Academiques, the highest award bestowed by the French government for outstanding contributions to French language and culture. In 2000 she was nominated for a Golden Apple Award for excellence in teaching. During a stint as an adjunct professor at Roosevelt University, her graduate course on methods of teaching foreign languages was well-known for its blend of academic rigor, fun and practical advice for aspiring teachers.

Author of numerous articles, translations, poems and a play, Breen-Putnam published two books, The French Creative Writing Guide and French Through Funetics. Her last work, How I Learned That Grandfather Had The Magic , a picture book for children which she wrote and illustrated , was published privately this spring.

Breen-Putnam’s penchant for humorous but always supportive advice made her a lively contributor to meetings of her writing circle. “Maureen’s carefully-crafted critiques often ended with a cartoon drawing of Fergus, her pet poodle, voicing his praise,” said Roberta Gates, friend and founding member of The Nice Writers Group.

Breen-Putnam’s creative spirit and tenacious belief in the power of positive thinking were the hallmark of her long fight against breast cancer. In an unfinished memoir, An Optimist Deals with Breast Cancer, she wrote, “Laughter really is the best medicine. It’s important to make plans for the future and get the help you need to face cancer head-on, but you should never let the diagnosis destroy your day-to-day happiness. Practicing happiness is the only way to live in harmony with your body and support its healing energies.”

Other cancer patients who admired the grace with which Breen-Putnam confronted numerous surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy treatments sought her out for tips on how to survive the disease. “Maureen was so very special, loved by all. She will always be in my heart,” said her physician, Dr. Steven Rosen, Director of Cancer Programs at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

As one long-time friend put it, “Maureen. What a beauty!!! And a huge loss for mankind. Except for one thing: Her memory will remain until our last breath.”

Breen-Putnam is survived by her husband of 25 years, Dermot Putnam and her beloved French poodle, Fergus. Other survivors include a sister, Nancy Johnson, a brother-in-law, John Patrick Johnson, three nephews, Brendan, Patrick and Edward, a grand-nephew and niece, Patrick Joseph and Clare Alice, respectively. She has over 40 godchildren born to friends all over the world.

Visitation will be held Friday June 25, 2010 from 2 until 8 PM at Woodlawn Funeral Home, 7750 W. Cermak Rd., Forest Park. Visitation will continue Saturday morning at 8:30 AM until time of chapel prayers at 9:15 AM and then proceeding to Riverside United Methodist Church, 82 Woodside Rd., Riverside, for a 10 AM Funeral Service. Interment will take place privately in Plummerville Cemetery, Fenville, Michigan.