Kristi Aresvik Putnam Hay, 88, of Bremen, passed away on Oct. 9 at her home.
Kristi was born in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 14, 1918. Her mother, Marta Aresvik, was Norwegian and her father, George Putnam, was U.S. Commissioner of Lighthouses.
She graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 1940 with a BA in English. After college, she worked for the Washington Housing Authority.
She met John Hay in Washington, D.C. They married in 1942 and moved to Brewster, Mass. in 1945. After 60 years of life together in Brewster, Mass., she and her husband moved to Bremen in 2005.
She wrote columns for the Cape Codder, and during the 1970’s and 80’s, served as school librarian for two elementary schools in Brewster, Mass. After her retirement as librarian, she worked in the Brewster Bookstore for a number of years.
She was an active, creative, and independent person who loved travel, studied ancient Greek, and explored the Cape Cod, Mass. beaches to harvest bayberries, beach plums, and clams. She enjoyed trips with friends to Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts. She was an accomplished greenhouse gardener, knitter, potter and taxidermist. She volunteered in the public library and was a strong and enthusiastic advocate for children’s reading.
She is survived by nature writer, John Hay, her husband of 65 years; daughters, Susan Burroughs of Bowdoinham, and Katherine Hay of Northampton, Mass.; son, Charles M. Hay of Essex, Mass.; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be private.
Donations may be sent to the Kristi Aresvik Putnam Hay Fund, Brewster Ladies’ Library, 1822 Main St., Brewster, MA 02631.
