Fire takes lives of high-spirited, fun-loving couple

Married just a year and half, Rudy and Darlene Casagrande died of smoke inhalation last Thursday  night, Dec. 27, in a fire that burned their home at 86 Pine Mountain Road to the ground.
Friends and co-workers described the two as full of fun and humor — off-beat, high-spirited, kind-hearted, hard-working, down-to-earth.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held for Rudy Casagrande Jr., 42, a near lifelong Ridgefielder, and Darlene Cioffoletti Casagrande, 39, who grew up in Newtown, on Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Mary's Church, Ridgefield.
“They were both characters,” said Bob Crnic, who as the owner of Direct Media Marketing in Bethel had employed Darlene Casagrande for the last six years. “It was very unusual to have two people be that outgoing and that boisterous” and manage to get along as a couple, he said.
But the Casagrandes were like that.
“Rudy was her rock,” Mr. Crnic said.
“What a character!” said Darren Knapp, who grew up with Rudy Casagrande, went to school with him, and employed him for the last six years at the Knapp Brothers Inc. of Florida Road. “It’s a terrible loss.”
“Always a positive attitude, always kidding and joking — morning, noon and night. He would joke with everybody,” Mr. Knapp said.
Walter Schuett, who also went to school with Mr. Casagrande, worked with him on the town parks crew, where he’d been employed the last six months.
“Just an extremely friendly, hard-working, very compassionate person,” Mr. Schuett said. “He just loved working outside.”
“He’s going to be missed,” said Bob Schneider, head of the parks maintenance operations. “He was an excellent worker, a real friendly, outgoing person.”
Mrs. Casagrande’s mother, Nancy Cioffoletti of Newtown, said her daughter and Mr. Casagrande had married in the summer of 2000, while the two were on a trip to Las Vegas.
“They got married a year ago August,” she said.
“She was a fun-loving girl, interested in sports. She was a great baseball fan, and she loved the Mets. She loved the outdoors. She and Rudy loved to go camping together.”
Mr. Crnic said Darlene Casagrande had been employed by his marketing research firm for about six years.
“She was like family. I know the word’s been used a little too much lately. She was literally like family. She considered this her home away from home,” he said. “Last week, the Thursday before Christmas, we had a Christmas gathering during the day at the office. She brought a huge basket filled with all kind of treats for my children.”
“Rudy was a unique person,” Mr. Crnic added, “constantly doing things for anyone and everyone. He had such a positive aura, just happy-go-lucky.”
Rudy Casagrande
Rudy Casagrande Jr. was born in Danbury Oct. 6, 1959, a son of the late Rudolph and Alice (Banks) Casagrande. He attended Ridgefield schools and graduated from Ridgefield High School with the Class of 1978.
At the time of his death, he was employed by the Ridgefield Parks and Recreation Department, a position he held for the past six months. Before that he had worked for the Knapp Brothers tree surgeons as a crew foreman, operating a 52-foot cherry picker.
“We were sorry to see him go,” Darren Knapp said. “Always worked two jobs, and never missed time. I could always count on him, he was very dependable.”
“I could send him to any tree, and he would get it down.”
Mr. Casagrande will be well remembered for his off-beat and nearly continual humor, Mr. Knapp said.
There were lines of self-deprecating humor he would use again and again, which will be long remembered by friends and co-workers, Mr. Knapp said.
Mr. Casagrande, who’d had long blond hair in high school, had very little remaining in middle age, and would constantly ask “How’s my hair?” to draw laughs. Sometimes, high up in the cherry picker, he’d call down “Can you count the reindeer?” and sing a snippet of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer — “Dancer and Prancer and Donder and Blitzen” — referring to the remaining strands on his head.
In a similar spirit, he referred to his beat up old Dodge pick-up as “my prize Dodge.”
“He loved the outdoors, loved to fish, and he loved the New York Mets — he was certainly a Mets fan,” Mr. Knapp said.
Mr. Casagrande is survived by two brothers, Kenneth Marsh, and his wife Cheryl of Danbury, and Ralph Marsh, and his wife Joyce of Holcomb, Kans.; a sister, Barbara Coderre and her husband John of Terryville; two aunts, C. Frances Hodges of Hartford and Yola K. Casagrande of Danbury; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Darlene Casagrande
Darlene Cioffoletti Casagrande was born in New Rochelle, N.Y., Aug. 19, 1962, a daughter of Daniel J. and Nancy (Maduras) Cioffoletti of Sandy Hook. She attended St. Rose School, Newtown Middle School and graduated from Newtown High School. She was an area resident for the past 33 years.
She was a marketing researcher for Direct Media Marketing of Bethel.
“She probably called 100,000 people in the last six years,” said Mr. Crnic of Direct Media. “She was real good on the phone, real good.”
“Some people just have an energy when they’re on the phone that makes people want to talk to them. She had the voice, that friendly positive voice, and a nice delivery.”
In addition to her parents, she is survived by a daughter, Christina M. Fiore of Danbury; two brothers, Robert Cioffoletti of Ridgefield and Michael Cioffoletti of Newtown; four sisters, Francene Albert of Las Vegas, Nev., Marlene Cioffoletti of Southbury, Nancy Cameros of Newtown and Daniele Maguire of Hopewell Junction, N.Y.; her paternal grandmother, Frances Cioffoletti of Sandy Hook, and several nieces and nephews.
Following Saturday’s Mass at St. Mary’s, Mr. and Mrs. Casagrande will be buried in Ridgebury Cemetery at the convenience of the family.
There will be no calling hours.
Contributions in both Mr. and Mrs. Casagrande’s memory may be made to the Ridgefield Boys & Girls Club, 41 Governor Street, Ridgefield 06877.
The Kane Funeral Home, 41 Catoonah Street, is in charge of arrangements.