TPAN mourns the loss of our dear friend Kevin Putz, 56, of Evanston, who died earlier this week following a long illness.
Kevin graduated from the University of Michigan in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and Urban Planning. After moving to Chicago and putting down roots in Boystown, he founded Toolbox, Inc., a leading graphic design firm in real estate and cause marketing.
Kevin brought understanding and compassion to his work for the AIDS Legal Council of Chicago, STOP AIDS, Chicago House, Better Existence with HIV (BEHIV), Center on Halsted, Art Against AIDS, Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN), Dining Out for Life and Howard Brown Health Center. In 2005, Kevin was honored with the Chris Clason "Committed to Living" award by TPAN for his numerous innovative social education and awareness campaigns, including a thought-provoking AIDS education campaign that ran in Positively Aware (PA) magazine, which is published by TPAN. Kevin and his firm designed the very first special issue of PA in 2005.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday made by his sister Jenny, she said, “Kevin was the light of our lives. Even while battling HIV/AIDS, cancer and a variety of other medical challenges, he still met each morning with zest and drive, and fought to live just one more day for more days than anyone could have predicted. He was a hero and an inspiration, a true fighter, and through it all, always had a 1,000-watt smile.”
In lieu of flowers, memorials are being accepted in Kevin’s name and may be sent to both AIDS Foundation Chicago, 200 W. Monroe St. Suite 1150, Chicago, IL 60606 www.aidschicago.org and TPAN, 5537 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640 www.tpan.com