Not only the Key deer, but the
South Florida environmental
movement as a whole lost a
champion and true friend with
the recent passing of former
KDPA President Mick Putney. For
those of us on his side, he was
a mentor, a leader, and a
resource. For others, he was
their watchdog, their nemesis,
and their unremitting
conscience.
He will truly be missed.
Jerry Dykhuisen
President
Below is the
article about Mick's passing
from the November 24
Keynoter, and below that
is his obituary.
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From the November 25
Keynoter:
Key deer defender
Putney dies at age 80
Environmentalist also known for
solar lifestyle
By LARRY KAHN
lkahn@keynoter.com
Posted - Wednesday, November 25,
2009 06:47 AM EST
Mick Putney, defender of all things
environmental but especially the
endangered Key deer, died Saturday
at age 80 from a rare fungal
infection, blastomycosis.
He and his wife Alicia moved to Key
Largo in 1983 from California, and
in 1990 built a solar-powered home
on No Name Key. They used it as a
model, showing scores of youths --
from AmeriCorps staff to Key West
High School students -- how to live
off the grid and decrease your
carbon footprint.
Many considered him the face of the
Key Deer Protection Alliance, which
focuses on protecting the herd and
its habitat. He was its president
for nearly a decade, ending his
service just this month.
He also was vice president of Last
Stand, a Lower Keys group that
considers itself the local protector
of the environment.
"As far as environmentalism, he
walked the walk," former Last Stand
president and current board member
Dennis Henize said. "He left behind
big shoes to fill, but left a small
footprint."
"They're a friend and defender" of
the National Key Deer Refuge, refuge
Manager Anne Morkill said, referring
to Putney and his wife. "They defend
the refuge, but they also check our
activities. What I've really
appreciated about Mick perhaps as
opposed to other individuals is he
usually provides constructive
criticism. I've gone to Mick and
Alicia when I've not gone to others
for feedback."
"I met him within my first couple of
months down here, about 12 years
ago. I was an education intern for
the refuge," says Allison Higgins,
land conservation program manager
for The Nature Conservancy in the
Keys. "He was just an incredibly
warm and witty individual. There
were multiple things I went to Mick
for mentoring, education and the
history of things."
Putney was also heavily involved in
the Big Pine Civic Association,
according to former President John
Murphy.
"He was really active in the fight
against incorporation," he said.
Putney was born on Feb. 27, 1929, in
Lincoln, Neb. He earned bachelor's
and master's degrees in philosophy
at the University of Nebraska before
receiving his Ph.D in sociology from
the University of Oregon.
He was a professor for most of his
adult life, teaching at Drake
University, Florida State, San Jose
State and the Union Institute.
He is survived by his wife of 35
years Alicia; sister Patricia
Watsonson Gregory Putney; and
daughter Cynde Mitchell and her
children Daniel and Amelia.
A memorial service is planned for
Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. at the National Key
Deer Refuge, at the head of the
Manillo trail, where Mick Putney
donated more than 2,000 hours of
volunteer service.
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SNELL ‘MICK’ PUTNEY
Gifted scholar, poet and
environmentalist Snell "Mick" Putney
of No Name Key died unexpectedly at
the tender age of 80 on Saturday,
November 21, 2009, from a rare
fungal infection, blastomycosis.
Born in Lincoln, Neb., to Williams
W. and Hazel Snell Putney on Feb.
27, 1929, Mick earned both a
bachelor’s and master’s degree in
philosophy at the University of
Nebraska, before receiving his Ph.D.
in sociology from the University of
Oregon. A professor for most of his
adult life, he taught at Drake
University, Florida State
University, San Jose State
University, and Union Institute in
the course of his long career.
Mick and his wife, Alicia, first
visited the Keys by sailboat in
1978, before buying a house in Key
Largo in 1983. In 1990, the couple
built their beautiful solar home on
No Name Key, which has been the site
of many lectures and tours educating
people on the possibilities of a
sun-powered residence.
What many people who toured the home
don’t realize is that Mick built
most of the house himself, as he did
a 40-foot sailboat, and always had a
workshop wherever he went. As his
wife likes to put it, "Mick could
fix everything … except a computer."
Mick was trailblazing, boating,
building and fixing things up until
the last month of his life.
Most people knew Mick from his
tireless work to protect the
environment, particularly that of
the Florida Keys. He served as
president of the Key Deer Protection
Alliance for almost a decade, only
ending his tenure in early November
2009. He also served on the board of
directors for Last Stand for many
years. Mick did everything a man
could do to minimize his footprint
on his beloved green earth.
For those of us who will miss him
so, and will celebrate his work, we
can attest that his impact on all of
us was enormous and profound, and
will long be remembered.
Mick is survived by his wife of 35
years, Alicia Putney; his sister,
Patricia Watson of Portland, Ore.;
his son, Gregory Putney of Selma,
Ore.; his daughter, Cynde Mitchell
and her two children, Daniel and
Amelia, of Peaks Island, Maine; and
his beloved cat, Tee Cee.
Mick requested that in lieu of
flowers, donations be made to one of
his favorite charities: the
Key Deer Protection Alliance,
Last Stand,
Witness for Peace – Southeast
Regional Office (919-856-9468),
the
Freedom From Religion Foundation
(608-256-8900), and the
Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
(716-636-1425).
A memorial service will be held at 2
p.m. Saturday, December 5, 2009, at
the National Key Deer Refuge, at the
head of the Fred Mannillo trail,
where Mick donated more than 2,000
hours of his volunteer service.
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