Elaine Decker

1945-2025

Elaine Decker, 80, of Cromwell CT, passed away peacefully on October 3, 2025 with family by her side after a long battle with lung cancer.  Born and brought up in New Jersey, Elaine graduated from Brown University in 1967 and then returned to New Jersey to start her professional career.

Elaine began her professional journey at Arthur Andersen, where she worked as a programmer during the early days of commercial computing. After two years, she joined Colgate, where she spent 17 transformative years, starting as a programmer and rising to become a marketing director. 

At Colgate, Elaine set a high standard that inspired all who worked with her. Those fortunate enough to have her as their manager gained strong brand management skills along with valuable life lessons. She had the rare ability to write the most creative advertising copy and in the next moment transition to providing a detailed quantitative analysis. Known for her integrity, Elaine always stood by her principles and was admired by her peers for her truthful, courageous conversations with those in leadership positions.

Elaine’s compassion extended to everyone. When a team member faced a family emergency, she immediately stepped in to fulfill their responsibilities. Through this spirit of caring, she built meaningful connections with her colleagues, many of whom remained close friends over the years.

She went on to found Business Theatre Unlimited (BTU), a sole proprietorship focused on marketing and writing, and remained active in this work for the rest of her life. Alongside this, Elaine devoted herself to fundraising, holding various positions at Wheaton College, her alma mater Brown University, the Fund for Community Progress, and other organizations, helping to secure resources for causes she believed in deeply.

In the late 1980s, Elaine faced and won a difficult battle with breast cancer, demonstrating the resilience that would characterize her approach to life’s challenges. In 1990, she married Jagdish Sachdev and moved to Providence, Rhode Island. In 2014, they relocated to Cromwell, Connecticut, where they made their new home. In her 70s, Elaine decided to dust off her saxophone, even joining a local band. In 2020, Elaine faced a new cancer diagnosis, a battle she fought with characteristic courage and grace.

Throughout her life, Elaine was a passionate writer, crafting social satire that was both insightful and engaging. Her work appeared in her regular blog, Retirement Sparks, in numerous periodicals, and in five books — three on retirement, one on coping with cancer, and one on the sense of humor (all available on Amazon). Even in her final months, she continued contributing monthly articles to PrimeTime, a Rhode Island periodical, sharing her wit and wisdom until the end.

A devoted animal lover, especially of cats, Elaine worked tirelessly with Protectors of Animals and many other organizations to help place countless cats into loving homes. Her compassion extended to all creatures and all people fortunate enough to know her.

Elaine was a loving wife, sister, aunt, and friend who touched many lives with her warmth, humor, and generosity of spirit. She is survived by her husband, Jagdish Sachdev; sister Barbara Guiduli; brother Rick Decker and his wife Amy Decker; nephew Barry Guiduli and his wife Meg Armstrong, nieces Pamela Nash and her husband Tom Nash, and Jennifer Decker; and grand nieces and grand nephew Isabella Nash, Bruno Guiduli, and Sophie Guiduli. She is also survived by Jagdish’s sister Usha Bhambree and her husband Vinod Bhambree, nieces Bobbie Bhambree and her husband Alex Wirkmaa, Nitasha Bhambree and her husband Declan Mulvey, Neeru Bhambree and Sumita Bhambree; her nephew Rohit Chhabra and his wife Soniya, and grand nieces Aashi Chhabra and Raima Chhabra; and many beloved relatives in India, England and Singapore. 

In lieu of flowers donations in Elaine’s memory may be made to

Protectors of Animals, Inc.

144 Main St. Unit O

East Hartford, CT 06118