Marilyn PuttenVink

Marilyn Robbins PuttenVink passed away on April 30, 2026, in Maplewood, Minnesota, at the age of 76. While her passing was sudden, she had spent the past 15 years navigating the effects of Parkinson's disease and COPD, which gradually robbed her of her mobility and many of the qualities of life she cherished. We find comfort knowing she has been lovingly welcomed to a better place by her husband, Raymond PuttenVink, her sisters, Elaine Robbins Burger and Janet Robbins Boston, and her parents, Kenneth and Bertha Robbins.

Born and raised in northern New Jersey, but deeply rooted to the hills and and hollers of wild West Virginia, Marilyn is remembered for her big heart, bright smile and for the way she captured the world around her through her photography. She collected moments with her camera much the way she collected antiques and momentos, her eyes wide with awe and her heart open with appreciation. She taught us to always look for the beauty, to pause and appreciate what is before it is gone. What a gift.

What a gift, too, to have her vast photography archive of the places she held dear - the home her parents built in Newfoundland, New Jersey, the farm in Shirley, West Virginia, and her treasured Victorian home overlooking the Ohio River in Sistersville, West Virginia - along with the friends and family who surrounded her throughout her life. It's impossible to miss how deeply she was loved - and how deeply she loved in return.

She will be profoundly missed by her daughter and son-in-law, Marissa and Brook Blahnik of Minnesota; her two beloved grandchildren, Rae and Hudson; her niece, Laura Boston-Thek of Germany; and her nephew, Ken Boston of New Jersey.