Putnam Ercoline

Putnam James Ercoline, 57, of Peterborough, passed away suddenly from a heart attack on July 27, 2021. 

Putnam was born in Arlington, MA on March 1, 1964, the son of Thomas and Marilyn (Putnam) Ercoline.

He was raised in Ipswich, MA and spent childhood summers on Sunset Lake in Greenfield, NH, where his maternal great-grandfather had built a small summer camp in the 1920’s. He attended Ipswich schools, and graduated from Ipswich High School in 1982, but always considered himself a New Hampshirite, as this is where he felt happiest and most at home.  After travelling across the country and living briefly in Georgia he settled in Peterborough in 1989. 

Putnam was a creative soul, an actor, artist, photographer, and finish carpenter who held a variety of jobs including manufacturing bathing suits, making horse blankets, and Stage Managing for the NH Symphony Orchestra in the early 2000’s. In the mid-1990’s he spent a year in LA, earning small parts and a stint as an extra on 90210. He acted in countless local theater productions in the 1990’s and early 2000’s with the Actor’s Circle Theater and other local production groups.

Putnam met his life partner, Lisa Luedeke, in Peterborough in 1999. They lived in Greenfield until 2013, when they moved to their current home in Peterborough. He was a stay-at-home father to their daughter Lily from the time she was born. He had a traumatic brain injury in a car accident in 2004 when she was four months old and suffered from chronic pain for the rest of his life, but he did the very best he could, travelling with Lily and Lisa on her business trips so the family could be together during Lily’s preschool years.  In the summers, they spent their time with family at the Ercoline cabin on Sunset Lake, where they lived next to lifelong friends, the Wheelers.

Putnam was a friend to many, a loving and thoughtful man who touched the hearts of all who knew him. Among his dear friends he loved to paint with artist John Sirois, hunt and fish with Jerome Varnum and visit with friend of 30 years, Bruce Johnson. He shared a love of science, modern art, and all things Neil Gaimon with his daughter, and they loved watching Dr. Who together.  Travelling was another passion and Lisa, Lily, and Putnam had been to England and Italy together and were planning a post-Covid trip to Japan. When he felt well, he still loved to act and most recently studied and performed with Nora Fiffer and her Firelight Theater company.

He was sober for 30 years in Alcoholics Anonymous and helped many other alcoholics in those years, just as they helped him along the way.

Putnam survived by his partner and wife of 21 years Lisa Luedeke, their daughter, Lily, 17, his brother Thomas Ercoline III, wife Monica, and their daughters, Lorena and Ariana, all of Milford, NH; mother-in-law Melanie Luedeke of Pensacola; sister-in-law Stacy Reed and Tom Reed of Hohenwald, TN; Aunt Diane (Mimi) and Jim McManus of Duluth, GA; his loving extended family and countless friends.

A celebration of Putnam’s life will be held at the Greenfield Meeting House in Greenfield, NH on Saturday, August 7, at 3:00.  All are welcome.  In the spirit of Putnam, dress is casual.  For those unable to attend in person, the service will be available via Zoom:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5583721372  Passcode:  Greenfield

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Putnam’s memory to: Friends of the Greenfield Community Meeting House, 7 Forest Road, PO Box 256, Greenfield, NH 03047.

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