Gregory Dean Sacatos, 68, died February 18, 2017 with his loving family at his side. Despite seven long years of increasing disability and pain from Parkinson’s, he retained his dignity and strength. Long after he was supposed to be in a wheelchair or bedridden, Greg careened about the house with only one hand on his walker falling over and over again, but always getting up to propel himself back into movement and life.
Greg was born in New York City and graduated from the High School of Music and Art, and Cooper Union. He was known in college as the “Greek God” – incredibly handsome and athletic, and the best artist of his class. He ran his own fine art architectural firm for many years in NYC. After a serious automobile accident, Greg returned to school to obtain two masters degrees and started teaching photography at Westhill High School, where he conveyed his passion for beauty and creativity to many students.
In recent years, Greg produced a large body of photographs of Connecticut landscapes, buildings, and flowers revealed as if engaged in intense conversations.
During an eventful life, he boxed, sculled, and raced motorcycles. He was demanding and macho, but also tender-hearted and gentle – a loving and beneficent soul.
He is survived by his daughter, Adrienne (Cambridge, MA), his ex-wife, Hilary (New York, NY), his mother, June (Madison), his faithful sister, Melody (Essex), his brother, Peter (Clinton), cousins, John (San Francisco) and Linda (Brookline, MA), his aunt, Marika and uncle, Chris (Old Saybrook, CT), and his beloved Akita, Yu-Jin (Texas).
A service will be held at Swan Funeral Home, Old Saybrook, at 4:00 pm, on 22 February 2017.
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