Dr. J. Putnam “Put” Brodsky, Doctor, Sailor, Husband, Father, Friend.
J. Putnam “Put” Brodsky, 88, recently of Shrewsbury, passed away peacefully Nov. 20 following a short bout with lung cancer. Born in Brooklyn, Put was raised in Summit and attended the New York Military Academy. His family summered at the Jersey Shore and ultimately moved to Rumson in 1952, the year he graduated from Princeton University.
In 1953 he married the love of his life, Margaret “Peggy” Morse, with whom he raised three children. Dr. Brodsky attended medical school at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York and completed his training at New York City’s Bellevue Hospital and at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Following two years as a captain in the U.S. Army in Puerto Rico, Dr. Brodsky moved his family to Rumson to start his medical practice. He practiced for 40 years at his office on East River Road in Rumson.
Dr. Brodsky was an internist specializing in pulmonary medicine, but most considered him their family doctor. He was known for his compassionate level of care, making house calls and getting to know his patients and their families. He enjoyed making rounds at Riverview Medical Center, where he served in various capacities including chief of medicine, co-director of the Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, and the first director of the Drug Rehab Center.
He served as the Rumson Police & Fire Surgeon from 1964 to 2000 and as president of the Rumson Board of Health from 1965 to 1991. He also served on the boards of the Central Jersey Blood Center, the Visiting Nurses Association, and the Borough of Shrewsbury Board of Health. He was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church in Rumson, where he served as a church elder.
Dr. Brodsky was an avid sailor and boater and served as commodore of the Shrewsbury Sailing & Yacht Club. Put was a well-fed member of the Fatmen’s and ROMEO men’s lunch groups. His other interests included the opera, river and ocean cruises, playing bridge, wine and serving as an officer in his beloved Princeton class. He loved model trains and developed a large train layout in his house with conductor’s hats for each grandchild.
Put met his wife Peggy in kindergarten. They remained close friends growing up and were engaged upon graduation from college. He credits her with encouraging him to pursue his interests in medicine. They were married 58 years until her death in 2011.
He is survived by his children, John and his wife Mary, Carolyn and her wife Julie, Rob and his wife Liz; grandchildren, John Putnam, Charlotte, Christopher, Kirsten, Jessica, Stephanie and Sarah; his brother Robert and his wife Toni; as well as his cherished nephews and niece and their extended families.
A memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Rumson in January. Thompson Memorial Home in Red Bank has been entrusted with the arrangements.
