Roger Pisani 1935 – 2020

The great sailor returns from the sea

The great sailor returns from the sea
SCSC regrets to announce the death of long-time non-sailing club member, Roger Pisani.

Roger Pisani in the Anna Roger was a familiar sight to Club members as he pottered about on the waters of Castlehaven harbour in a variety of compromised but cleverly “repaired” crafts. Indeed, he was particularly proud that the bathtub dinghy he bought in 1974 (“one of the first all fibreglass boats in West Cork”) lasted until at least 2018. While his equipment and bait may not have challenged the fish, his ever-present cigar was excellent defense against mosquitoes.

Roger Pisani binoculars Roger first passed through Castletownshend when hitchhiking around the world after college. In 1972, when a planned family ski trip was devoid of snow, and having left the children with the grandparents, Roger and Julie, came to West Cork and stayed overnight in The Castle on the way to Barley Cove. A chance discussion with Rosemary Salter-Townshend eventually led to the purchase of a house on The Mall and the family have returned to Landfall Cottage ever since.

Roger was a friend to all, locals and holiday-makers both. A peripatetic life meant that he always appreciated the rhythms of Castletownshend and delighted in the stability that yearly visits to the village provided. His occasional sessions serving behind the bar at Lil’s pleased him no end, as did his early forays into mastering the famous all-purpose West Cork grunt. His enthusiasm for the area led him to evangelise on its behalf and resulted in several friends and business associates buying property in and around the village.

A family friend (you can probably guess who) wrote better than we could:

Roger-Pisani-and-his-friend-Paul-the-Pound“…Of course you will miss your dad enormously, but let me assure you, there is a large group of people, all connected in some way to a tiny village in West Cork, who are also in mourning this evening. To me, he was one of those rare people you couldn’t say a bad word about. When I think of Roger I think of a kind and generous man who communicated with everyone, young and old, I think of cigars, and cannonballs, and mackerel,and witty one liners,and party pieces,and a man so happy to be out in his boat in the harbour. I am writing this as I walk my dogs along the shoreline of a perfectly still Bantry Bay- he’d have loved an evening like this on the water…”

Roger died as he lived, squeezing every ounce of joy out of life, down at the marina, watching the fisherman not catching anything, in front of the Manhattan skyline and with cigar in hand. Not a day in bed, not a day in hospital. Way to go, Roger!

Party pieces??? We can’t imagine what you are talking about…
Roger Pisani fez or flowerpotRoger Pisani and Robert Salter-TownshendRoger Pisani Dereks drinks

Julie, Mark and Elizabeth are all together in Old Greenwich. Please feel free to contact Mark if you want the postal address.