CAMDEN — Paul Barbour Putnam, 81, husband of Helen Stevenson Putnam, passed away June 6, 2013, at his home in Rockport. Born in Rockland July 5, 1931, he was the son of Samuel and Lillian (Putnam) Jackson. When his mother died in 1933 he was adopted by Lillian's brother, George Sterling Putnam and his wife, Linnie, and grew up in Camden, graduating in Camden High School's class of 1949. He then attended the Northern Conservatory of Music in Bangor for a year of study before entering the U.S. Navy from 1951 to 1955 during the Korean Conflict as an electrician's mate second class. After completing boot camp, Paul married Helen Stevenson on June 6, 1951, at the First Congregational Church in Camden.

Paul continued his education at the University of Maine in Orono for five years, studying electrical engineering and English on the GI Bill. With an English degree, he entered the military/aerospace industry as an engineering writer, working for various companies, including Martin Marietta; Western Electric Corp working on the Titan missile; the U.S. Navy working on underwater ordinance systems; and at the Kennedy Space Center working on the Gemini and Apollo programs. He also worked at the Foxboro Company publishing documentation on automated process control systems, and in more recent years, worked at Sikorsky Aircraft in Connecticut on Blackhawk helicopter documentation.

Helen's grandfather started Stevenson's Candy early in the 20th century in Camden. The business was later taken over by Paul's parents and was renamed, Putnam's Candy Kitchen. During the late 1960s, Paul managed the business for his family for several years.

Paul's life and philosophies were developed by his memories of growing up during the depression, World War II and the Korean Conflict. He was committed to serving a non-denominational Christian group, which took his family to Canada and Georgia for a period of 13 years as part of the leadership of Christian Community Farms where they learned to love and honor people with roots from many cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

In 1994, Paul and Helen retired and returned to Camden, where he became actively involved in church, community and many organizations. He was a member of the First Congregational Church in Camden, where he served on multiple committees; the Camden American Legion; Camden-Rockport Historical Society; Camden Lion's Club; Habitat For Humanity; and other local nonprofit organizations.

Paul enjoyed writing occasional opinion editorial articles for the Camden Herald and in 2003, put together a number of the essays in a small book, Thoughts & Reminiscences of a Camden Native, which is still available in local bookstores today. He also self-published a book of his experiences and activities centered on his involvement with the nondenominational Christian community farm movement. In addition, Paul wrote and published several detailed Bible studies on various subjects.

Especially proud of his work at the Edward J. Walsh History Center, Paul researched the history of Camden for the book Where The Mountains Meet The Sea by Philip Conkling.

As a writer for many years, Paul wrote under government covers, many publications that didn't recognize authorship, such as operation and maintenance manuals for military and aerospace programs and equipment. For the U.S. Navy, he acted as a ghostwriter for several Navweps Reports, which were published and distributed throughout the Navy. Others publications included his writings of military missile programs and for NASA's Gemini and Apollo programs.

Paul also enjoyed several hobbies, including coin collecting, gardening, reading, avid interest in science, archeology and space, and being known as a historian.

Surviving is his wife of 62 years, Helen S. Putnam of Camden; three children, Alan Putnam and his wife, Sherry, of Cape Elizabeth, Vicki Fletcher and her husband, Michael, of Rockport, and Valerie Leaman of Sidney, Australia; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

A memorial service followed by a reception will be held Saturday, June 29, at 1 p.m. at the First Congregational Church, 55 Elm St. in Camden, with the Rev. Kevin Pleas officiating.

Memorial donations may be made to the Camden-Rockport Historical Society, P.O. Box 747, Camden, ME 04843 or to the Shields Mission Fund, c/o First Congregational Church, 55 Elm St., Camden, ME 04843.

Condolences, photos and memories may be shared with the Putnam family by visiting their book of memories at longfuneralhomecamden.com.

Arrangements are with Long Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Camden.