Christopher E.G. Saxe




Christopher Saxe Memorial Monday, May 22nd at 7PM Compo Beach, Westport, CT
Please join us as we gather to celebrate the unwavering love Chris had for each and every one of us. We’ll remember Chris and raise our glasses with the setting sun at his favorite place to sit and ponder the day and savor a glorious sunset.
There will be planned remarks and readings, followed by an invitation for friends and family to share a toast. If you feel moved to speak, Chris would be honored to have you recall a fond memory or story.
Chris would love you to celebrate his vibrant spirit by adding a touch of color to your attire. We’ll be on the beach so whatever you choose, just plan for sand — casual or dressy...it’s all good! (Yes, in true form he has given me explicit instructions!!) After the sunset, please stay to enjoy food, drink and cheer.
Please read on for further details. I look forward to seeing you on Monday.
Best love, Gary
Your Favorite Photos
We would be honored to include your favorite photos of Chris in a memorial video we’ll share with friends and family. Share or send to garymshelton@mac.com
In Lieu of Flowers...
Chris wanted to be honored by supporting the charities and organizations closest to his heart. Here are the causes that meant so much to him. Donation links are included in his obituary.
● Fetch Dog Rescue: Many of you know Chris was a huge supporter of Little Black Dog Rescue and all of his / our fur children were rescues. Little Black Dog stopped and Fetch picked up where they left off.
● Greens Farms Academy: Chris’s alma mater, where he was a lifetime member of the Alumni Council. GFA was where he started friendships with some of the most important people in his life.
● Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: We credit MSK for the amazing care and support of all the doctors and staff there. Without them and the research they do, we likely would not all have had these last ten glorious years with Chris. I owe them the world for giving me that time.
● Westport Country Playhouse: Not on the list included in Chris’s obituary, but Chris was a season ticket holder and huge supporter. If local theater is important to you, please honor him by supporting the Playhouse either by a donation in his memory or just buying tickets and enjoying the shows.

Arrival & Parking at Compo Beach
Enter via the main beach entrance at 60 Compo Beach Road, Westport CT. If you do not have a Westport Beach sticker, please tell the guard booth you are attending the Chris Saxe Memorial and they will let you enter. Drive in and follow the one way road to the right to park. You’ll see us at the West End of South Beach.

It is with profound sadness that the family of Christopher Edward Gordon Saxe announces his passing on April 22, 2023. An incredible human being and a man of substance, Chris will be lovingly remembered by his husband Gary M. Shelton, his daughter and son-in-law Caroline and Brook Saxe-Cobaugh and his treasured grandson Sebastian Saxe-Cobaugh. He will also be deeply missed by his sister-in-law Allison Broadhead Saxe, nephew Adam Saxe, niece Madeleine Saxe, and great niece Skyler Saxe. Christopher was predeceased by his beloved brother Andrew Saxe, father Edward L. Saxe, and mother Anthea Gordon Saxe.

Chris was born on December 22, 1955, at Norwalk Hospital and was a lifelong Westport native. His journey of life encompassed his incredible years at Greens Farms Academy and the lifelong friendships he made through those years. Friendship to Chris was truly a commitment and those he held most dear remain forever in his heart. His friendship was truly a gift and if you shared a friendship with him, you always had a champion in your life. His summers in Dorset, England visiting his cousins, aunts and uncles were also a huge part of his childhood preserving his English heritage and family history. Throughout his adult years his many return visits to Dorset were a reflection of his English lineage.

After graduating from GFA, Chris attended Skidmore College and graduated from The New School in New York City before ascending to his first career path in the art world. He was selected to join the staff at the acclaimed Andre Emmerich Gallery in NYC. It was here that his creativity and passion for art flourished.

Chris entered the world of real estate when he left the city and returned to Fairfield County in 1984. He managed several brokerages and was honored as the1995 Realtor of the Year by the Mid-Fairfield County Association of Realtors. A director of the association for many years, he had served as its president, vice-president, and membership chairman. In 1998 he joined Rick Higgins and founded The Higgins Group Private Brokerage, serving as the executive vice president and managing partner for 25 years. Chris helped grow the Westport office from four to presently more than eighty agents. In 2001 he was also instrumental in having the Higgins Group being selected as the local affiliate for the now known prestigious Christie’s International Real Estate. His expertise in the real estate field combined with his communication and people skills gave him the ability to reach clients on both a professional and personal level. His compassionate nature drew people to him. He will be celebrated for his distinguished service to the real estate community.

Chris met his true love Gary in 2007 and together they built a life of love, compassion, and total commitment. They eventually partnered in the real estate business and became a dynamic duo at the Higgins Group. During their sixteen-year relationship they continually added to the tapestry of their life together. That tapestry will continue to grow with the threads of friendship and love that surround them both. Part of the beauty of their tapestry were the flowers and plantings that Chris created, their penchant for splashes of color to create joy, and their love of all animals great and small. They held and carried each other through the best of times and the worst of times with an inspired love.

There are no words to truly describe the devastating loss of someone so loved. Our hearts are hurting because we have lost a treasured gentle, kind soul, who was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother-in-law, uncle, and friend. Chris was all that and more, always reaching out to the vast number of family members and friends that he kept close to his heart and in close contact. He made everyone around him feel his love of life and made you appreciate every moment of every day.

Christopher’s courageous and brutal ten-year battle with cancer did not diminish the light within him. His spirit, his smile and his gentle and loving nature were beacons of light that brought us joy and gave us refuge from our own fears. Chris was the epitome of a life that mattered. With Gary by his side, he rose above all the adversity and pain and spread seeds of joy and happiness in our world. He colored our lives with beauty and wisdom through his charismatic personality and his compassionate spirit. Chris did it all with dignity, courage and an undeniable sense of style and joy.

The family wishes to extend special thanks and appreciation to the Physicians and Staff at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Norwalk Hospital for their compassionate care.

Family and friends are invited to join in a celebration of life for Chris at 7:00 pm on May 22, 2023, at Compo Beach Westport, his favorite place to reflect on the day and absorb the coloring of the sunset.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in Chris’s name to:

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/ChristopherEGSaxe

Greens Farms Academy: https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/29685/donations/new

Fetch Dog Rescue: Https://fetch-rescue.com/christopher

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