Roger E. Saucy, 64, passed away at Mass General Hospital Oct. 18, 2024, after a long and silent struggle with lung cancer. By his side were his older brother Marcel and his nephew Jean-Claude.
Roger is also survived by his sister Claudia Saucy, nephew Alexis, niece Adriana, sister-in-law Rein Vandecasteele, extended family members and many close friends, and colleagues.
A full-time realtor in Litchfield County since 1987, Roger was involved in many notable sales. He set a residential record in 2007 in Salisbury for which some called him “the six-million-dollar man.”
In 2018, he became the recipient of the Broker Agent Advisor Award of Excellence in Real Estate. For more than 20 years, he was a senior sales associate at Klemm Real Estate and most recently he became an associate agent with Elyse Harney Real Estate.
Roger was respected in his field for the depth of his experience and his knowledge of the local market. He was often recognized for his care and attention to detail, for how he put his clients’ interests first, for his honesty, his follow-through, and his realistic approach to business.
Born in Switzerland, Aug. 3, 1960, he arrived in the United States, at age six when his father, Claude Saucy, became chairman of the department of Art and Art History of Kent School. Knowing very little English at the time, Roger nevertheless quickly formed friendships with fellow students at Kent Center, solidifying those connections during his time at Kent School and beyond.
As a student he particularly excelled in sports such as hockey, soccer and lacrosse, but he also loved fishing. Inspired at an early age by Jacques Cousteau, he explored the field of marine biology, fulfilling an apprenticeship at Woods Hole, (MA), where he became a lab technician and joined a research cruise that investigated the food habits of marine animals.
Quickly disenchanted, he went on a different adventure to learn about oil drilling in Louisiana. Here his courage and determination were tested, but he successfully climbed the ladder from roustabout to derrick hand. But where he felt most at home was in the Mediterranean Sea, the place of origin of his mother, “Titti.” This would be the place that, up until the last month of his life, held Roger’s heart.
Those who had the privilege of accompanying him to Ischia know the excitement of being led down cobblestone streets to the Castello Aragonese, and that first bite of Boccia’s fresh sourdough bread. Roger involved them in the exploration of the “the real tastes of Italy.” A connoisseur—to say the least—of the art of food, and wine, he embodied “la dolce vita.”
He brought the spirit of Italy back to his home at Knibloe Hill, where he hosted memorable dinners, bonfires and feasts. Every meal was a unique creation that came from him, single-handedly. He was a solo artist, the master chef of his kitchen, just as he was the captain of his own boat.
Memorable were the summer outings when he took family and friends out on Twin Lakes for cocktails, or on fishing trips off the Connecticut and Massachusetts coast, on leisurely cruises along the Hudson or on day trips around his favorite island of Ischia. Roger dreamed of owning a troller one day to cross the Atlantic and came very close to making that dream come true.
For messages of sympathy please write to: claudia.saucy@gmail.com.
