Nigel Sadd

Nigel William Sadd, 92, died May 12 under hospice care at The Village at Germantown, leaving the world a less chivalrous place. He was the quintessential English gentleman and truly a gentle man, greeting everyone with a smile and a kind word. His many interests included tennis, singing, traveling, ballroom dancing, and Arsenal football (soccer), but love and care for his family came first. Nigel was born in Shepherd's Bush, London, on November 3, 1932. His parents managed pubs all over London, and he spent his childhood in the war-torn city, enduring the Blitz and a brief evacuation. As a teen living at The Green Man Pub in Muswell Hill, he met the love of his life, Patricia Mulcahy, at Our Lady of Muswell Catholic Church youth group in 1950. There they began ballroom dancing, an activity they continued for many decades until, as Nigel would say, their walkers got in the way. Their style and grace so impressed fellow dancers, they often cleared the floor to watch the pair. Pat and Nigel began their 65-year marriage at Our Lady of Muswell in 1956 and settled in North London where their daughter, Susan, was born. With an acute business sense and a head for numbers, Nigel became a chartered accountant and established a career in the financial field. After he had worked for an accounting firm and an insurance company, the American brokerage firm White Weld & Co. recruited him to manage their London office. In 1973 he moved his family to Greenwich, Connecticut, to help manage the international department of White Weld from the New York City office. At the height of his career, he oversaw the management of all the offices for Paine Webber international, traveling through Europe, Asia, South America, and Puerto Rico. Whenever he was back in London, he always made a point to stay with his mother. Friends dubbed him "Saint Nigel" for his tender care of her. Susan has fond memories of Saturday afternoons with her dad at a tennis club in London, where she would play with the other children as he played a match. Later in life he was her trusted sounding board, not to mention a valued financial advisor and tax preparer. He often took trips with his wife, daughter, and grandson, Andrew. When Andrew was older, he enjoyed sharing a pint with his grandfather. Holidays were always joyous occasions, filled with English cuisine and traditions. When Nigel retired in 1996, Pat and Nigel moved to Southwind to be near their daughter and her family. In 2018 they moved to The Village at Germantown where Nigel was active in the choir and the drama club and often joined fellow residents at The Village "pub" for an evening drink. He lent his financial acumen to The Village Foundation Board of Directors. An avid football fan since his youth, he was still watching Arsenal matches on TV just a few weeks before his passing. Nigel's love of singing spanned almost seven decades, including many years in the Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit choir. He and Pat enjoyed vacationing all over the world until Pat suffered a fall on a trip to Cancun. Always a devoted husband, he lovingly cared for her until she passed away a decade later. Most recently, his greatest joy had been when Andrew and his wife, Sarah, brought their two young boys for visits. In addition to his wife, Pat, Nigel was predeceased by his parents, Lilian and William Sadd. He is survived by his daughter, Susan Greenop; grandson, Andrew Greenop (Sarah); and great-grandsons, Val and Issac. The family requests that any donations be sent to The Village at Germantown Foundation, which provides financial assistance for residents with increased health care expenses. A memorial mass will be held on Thursday, May 29th at 10:00 a.m. at Church of the Holy Spirit, 2300 Hickory Crest Drive with a reception and celebration of life to follow.