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By Ron P. Coderre
It’s been quite a while since I last spent quality time with Mike Duffy. The last time was when he came to the house to help with a computer problem. That visit turned into an opportunity to share a couple beers together and some memories of the past.
When I received the news of the death of Michael D. Duffy I was saddened and shocked. Shocked because, I and Putnam had lost a good friend and true community servant. I realized that Mike hadn’t been in the best of health in the past few years, suffering from a variety of medical conditions that slowed him considerably.
As I thought of him, my memories drifted back to the Duffy and Coderre homesteads, where we shared numerous hours together as kids. The Duffy home on Church Street. (where the Courthouse is today) and the Coderre home on Sunnyside Avenue were gathering places for kids as pre-teens and teenagers. My parents saw as much of Duffy as his parents saw of the variety of Coderres at their home.
Duffy and my brother Moe were great friends, almost inseparable as they went to St. Mary’s School and later Putnam High School. Moe was a very good athlete and Mike was a kid who plugged on the football field for the Clippers. Early on it was obvious that he enjoyed politics, as he served on the PHS Student Council and as a class officer.
As life proceeded and we became contributing adults in Putnam, politics would once again bring us together. We worked on campaigns together and eventually on the City Council. It was there that Duffy made his name and eventually was elected mayor of his hometown, a position he held with dedication and pride from 1978 through 1980.
Never one to seek the headlines, Duffy ruled in his humble style without controversy and with a political acumen that probably hasn’t been witnessed in Putnam since. He steered the controversial “Consolidation Committee” to a successful conclusion and oversaw improvements to elderly house and our water and sewer system.
There was also another side to Mike Duffy, a little more relaxed. We both went back to the golf course together to get away from the hectic pace of every day life. It started with the two of us at Harrisville on the weekends and eventually grew to as many as 12 to 16 golfers hitting the links at the little nine-hole course on a regular basis. Something that made course owner Betty Salvas smile.
We travelled together to Las Vegas with a troupe of local pseudo athletes participating in the TV production of “Almost Anything Goes.” Duffy’s wife, Donna, was part of the team, but as usual he was on hand for support. That was a role that he would take on in Putnam for many years following his time in the mayor’s seat. Whatever the committee, when asked, Duffy served.
As a parent and husband he was devoted to his wife Donna and his sons Sean and Connor. When he was able, he and his wife spent many hours on the links at Quinnatisset Country Club with their legion of friends. And as his sons grew he was there to support them whether on the football field or in the classroom. He was equally proud of their accomplishments in life.
As much as he enjoyed life in Putnam, as his health deteriorated he enjoyed the sunshine and warmth of Florida. His passing in Florida, though not a total surprise, is still difficult to accept. He was a Putnam icon, a man who was an integral part of the history of our community.
Mayor Michael D. Duffy 1944 – 2012. The dash between the years during his 67 years is what he was and did. Rest in peace, Mike.