Patricia "Patty" Elizabeth Putnam

Patricia “Patty” Elizabeth Putnam, 51, was taken from us in the early hours of July 15, 2021, while protecting her children and grandchild from a home invader. A memorial service will be held at Triumph Baptist Church on August 21, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. Patty was born in San Salvador, El Salvador on December 2, 1969, to Maria Rosa Anaya and Joaquin Raul Cordova. She made the long journey to America at age 13 with a dream of a better life. She spent the rest of her childhood in Los Angeles, where she met Boyd Putnam, the love of her life, and the two married on July 2, 1988. They moved to Great Falls, MT in 1993 to be close to Boyd’s family. During their 20-year marriage, they lovingly raised four daughters, and Patty earned her U.S. citizenship. Tragically, Boyd was lost when he was hit by a drunk driver in 2008. Patty continued raising her kids and supporting them despite the hardships and pain of losing her life companion. Patty artfully employed a piping bag and spatula as a cake decorator at County Market for several years then at Wal-Mart for 21 years. While she loved serving customers and crafting beautiful cakes, her true passion was being a Zumba instructor. She brought boundless energy to her classes and took great pride in leading people to better health through dance. Patty took her routines to many local gyms, including Access Fitness, Indian Family Health Center, The Peak, and Fit Republic. She found a family in the Zumba community, where she was known as warm, encouraging, and full of life. Patricia will be remembered as a hero for fighting for her family in the face of adversity and for her iron will and unshakable faith. She loved her family above all else. She loved her daughters, and she especially loved her grandson. The warm fire of her heart will forever be within the people she loved and the ones who loved her. Patty’s death leaves deep holes in so many lives. She was excited to watch her grandson grow up and was looking forward to traveling the world. She was taken too soon and made the ultimate sacrifice for the safety of her family. Not everyone is faced with this impossible situation, but she made the choice she always said she would. Patricia was preceded by her husband, Boyd and her parents. She is survived by her four daughters, Jennifer, Vanessa, Alexa, and Jessica; grandson, Kal-El; siblings, Sonia, Martha, Joaquin, and Raul. In lieu of flowers, donations in Patty’s name may be made to Toby’s House Crisis Nursey (P.O. Box 2725 Great Falls, MT 59403 or visit https://tobyshousemt.org/).