Shelter Island Reporter obituary: Dr. Joseph Putignano

Joseph Putignano, 85, of Shelter Island and Charleston, S.C., passed away peacefully in his sleep on Shelter Island, surrounded — as he always preferred to be — by the loving chaos of his sprawling family. His adoring wife of almost 60 years, Marylou, was at his side, along with their children, who filled his life with joy.

Joe was born in Brooklyn to Rose (nee Gulfo) and Dr. Daniel Putignano. He grew up in a lively, close-knit household with his siblings Mary Jo, Vincent, Joyce, and Noella, a family bond that remained strong throughout his life. Joe’s intellect and values were honed by the Jesuits at Brooklyn Prep before he went on to study at Mount St. Mary’s in Maryland. He earned his medical degree from McGill University in Montreal.

Following medical school, Joe completed an internship and residency at St. Luke’s Hospital in Manhattan, where he began his distinguished career. For many years, he served as Chief of Urology at Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville, N.Y., guiding patients and colleagues alike with both exceptional skill and a deeply compassionate approach to care.

Away from the hospital, Joe devoted himself to his family and to Sweet Pea Cove, the property on Shelter Island that, starting more than 50 years ago, became a gathering place for generations. He was the anchor that kept the extended Putignano-Binder-Dunhill crew tethered, the storyteller who could turn any event into legend, and the first to both tease and embrace you in equal measure. 

Summer days and holidays at “the Cove” were filled with the laughter of grandchildren, shared meals, and the joy of simply being together. Joe and Marylou made the Cove more than a home — it was a living scrapbook with echoes of the splash of kids jumping off the dock and the smell of Marylou’s phenomenal cooking drifting through screened windows. Joe loved the bay, spending many happy — if sometimes meandering — days sailing. On land, he embraced home projects with enthusiasm (but also variable outcomes) and even encouraged house guests to do the same. 

After a lifetime of summers, he and Marylou became full-time Island residents in 2019.

Above all, Joe was devoted to Marylou — his partner in all things — and to the family they built together. He is survived by Marylou; his children, Susan (Darrin) Binder, Nina (Adam) Dunhill, Dan (Liz) Putignano, and Pete (Suzanne) Putignano; his grandchildren, Doug, Katy Charlie, George, Eddie, Grace, Will, Matthew, Andrew, and Louie; and great-grandchild, Cecilia.

His life was defined by a steady hand, fierce loyalty, and a generosity of spirit that touched all who knew him. And over the past few years, we are thankful and better for having witnessed his tenacity, tenderness and grace as he embraced the fragile days of life. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 13, from 3-6 p.m. at the Shelter Island Funeral Home. A funeral mass for Joe will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 14, at Our Lady of the Isle Church on Shelter Island.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Shelter Island Ambulance Foundation at siambulancefoundation.org/donate/