James (Jim) Putman passed away peacefully on April 20, 2018 in Angleton, Texas at the age of 77 years, with his wife by his side. Heaven’s gates opened wide and received a humble, but bold Christ follower. He had a heart for the church, his family, the poor, and the disenfranchised all over the world. Jim was born to Lloyd Leslie Putman and Ollye Mae Willis in Natalia, Texas on October 27, 1940. As he grew, he excelled in both athletics and academics, surrounded by many friends and his seven siblings.
In his many years of ministry, Jim contracted with Buckner Children’s Homes to meet the needs of foster children and teenagers in Conroe, Texas. He helped start the Hospitality House (Huntsville, TX), a ministry to family members of inmates. He helped establish a MHMR center serving a tri-county area where there had been no previous care. Jim served as the Executive Director of Hunt County Family Services in Greenville, Texas, serving the needy in Hunt County. Jim served as the director of the Seaman’s Center in Freeport, TX for 10 years and facilitated dozens of church partnerships and mission work in Romania and Bulgaria. He organized ESL ministries and food outreach programs. Most recently, he was an integral founding board member of T & F International Ministry, a missions organization focused on supporting Bulgarian pastors. He was a social justice guy (in the best sense) before it was cool, with the gospel always the reason and the priority. He arranged his life to further the gospel in ways rarely seen today.
He was married for 57 years to his high school sweetheart and best friend, Carole (Kerr) Putman, and leaves behind four children, their spouses, and seven grandchildren: John and Sylvia Putman along with their children, Isaiah and Hannah; Tim and Penny Putman along with their children, Ethan, Forrest, and Wyatt; Annette and Mark Kemp along with their children, Kara and husband, Dane, Kayla; and Ben Putman. He is also survived by his siblings: Shirley Hamilton and Bobby Putman, sister-in-law, Elayne Lemons, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings Lloydene, Marjorie, Billy Putman, Nell Langford, and Patricia Wiggins.
Jim is no longer looking through a glass darkly, but sees our Lord face to face. While we will have to be separated for a time, for My Father’s children there is no “last time” to hold each other’s hands, to kiss each other’s foreheads, call each other’s names. Just the “not yet,” until in God’s sovereign grace we are brought together to share in the true depth of His love for us and for each other. He will be dearly missed, but we would not want to take him back from the glory he now enjoys with Jesus. For him, there is no more sorrow, no more pain. We claim this victory that is his, and ours, in the Lord Jesus Christ!
A memorial service will be held Wednesday, April 25, 2018 at 11:00 am at Northway Baptist Church, 1421 Buchta, Angleton, Texas. A visitation will be held at 10:00 am, immediately preceding the service. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to T & F International Ministry, 14439 NW Military Hwy, Suite 108-#405, San Antonio, TX 78231.
Online condolences for the family may be sent to www.palmsfuneralhome.com