Sage Cadwell Swanson, always known to his friends and colleagues as Caddy, had a full and productive life. He was born October 22, 1937, in New York City and died peacefully at his home in Snoqualmie, Washington, on April 21, 2025, after an extended illness.
He attended Berkshire School in Sheffield, MA, and Trinity College in Hartford, CT, where he played varsity tennis and was vice president of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity chapter, helping to save the chapter from closing.
Survivors include wife Sue, two children, Megan Coleman of Hull, MA, and Kristin Pastoriza of Snoqualmie, and five grandchildren. Sue was elected president of the Scudder Association Foundation in October of 2023, a post she continues to hold today.
Caddy believed that life was for living and serving and he did both fully. He was active in local and national charities including heading the United Fund in Pelham, NY, serving as an associate vestryman and choir member at his church, coach of the Pelham Girls Ice Hockey Team, and organizer of the Pelham Town Tennis Team. He loved model trains, golf, sailing, camping, pumpkin pie, and spending time with his family.
The New York native spent his career in the communications business as a salesman and as president of a number of companies including Capitol Video Communications, Reeves Teletape, MTI Television City, and USA Networks before retiring in 1999. His career led him to broadcasting Live from Lincoln Center (now in its 44th year) and saving the Ed Sullivan Theater from being torn down, turning it into a live studio. It is now the home of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Caddy always said he didn’t want to be remembered as an executive, just a “peddler.” He loved being a salesman and he was good at it.
He always had a smile and a love for life as we see in this photo from the 1970s.
Caddy Swanson, who married into the Scudder family, did much for the Scudder Association and his fellow human beings inside and outside the organization. He was greatly loved and will be sorely missed.
A memorial service is planned for September 2025 at St. Clare’s Episcopal Church in Snoqualmie.
