Obituary of Roger A. McCabe

Roger Arthur McCabe was born on February 8, 1947, and died exactly 78 years later on February 8, 2025. In between, he lived a massive life of incomparable beauty.

Roger was the luckiest man alive, and he knew it. He shared 47 of his years with the love of his life, his wife, Valarie (Fitzpatrick) McCabe. Through Valarie, he met his beloved brother-in-law, Scott Fitzpatrick, his wife Penny, their children James and Katelin, and many additional cherished members of an extended family. As an only child, Roger chose to grow his own family, deliberately and eagerly, by cultivating a network of friends and acquaintances that spanned the globe and multiple generations. Together, Roger and Valarie raised two children, Gary M. Glatt, Jr. and Stephen J. Glatt. The boys and their families were a source of tremendous pride and joy for Roger. He relished spending holidays, special occasions, and casual weekday evenings with Gary, his wife Jeanne, and daughters Lily and Chloe, as well as Stephen, his wife Nikima, and children Cameron, Caleb, and Samantha. But the highlight of every year for Roger was his annual excursion to Lake George for a large friends-and-family reunion, where his circle grew larger every year. Roger’s extended family also included some of the greatest pets ever raised by man, including his favorite black kitty cat, Rosie; he was predeceased by his beloved Irish setter, Maggie, his adored golden retriever, Fitz, his faithful goldendoodle, Rufie, and his black kitty cat, Annie.

Roger was a rock star, literally and figuratively, and took pride in telling anyone who would listen that he and his bandmates recorded the first stereo 45 vinyl ever produced (The veracity of this claim cannot and should not be confirmed). Off stage, Roger shone even more brightly. He was a passionate inventor of useless new tools and technologies, which culminated in his co-founding of the widely ridiculed and much maligned Laser Scarecrow, Inc. Among other major accomplishments and distinctions, Roger held a doctorate in metaphysics and was an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church. Owing to the generosity of his spirit, his infectious and ready laugh, and the sheer gravity of his persona, Roger always found himself the center of attention. And in one final act of showmanship, Roger chose to depart the living on his birthday, stepping off the stage one final time with all our eyes, hearts, and minds fixed firmly on him.

Finally, to those of you who owed Roger money, and even those of you who did not (you know which category you’re in!), please consider donating in Roger’s name to the Humane Society of Rome, the Clark Mills Volunteer Fire Department, or World Central Kitchen.

Family and friends are invited to attend calling hours on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, from 2-5 P.M. at Owens-Pavlot & Rogers Funeral Service 33 College Street, Clinton, N.Y.