Roger P. Vacco

Roger P. Vacco, 81, passed away on April 3, 2026, in Littleton, CO. Born to the late Mary and Pasquale Vacco, he grew up in Bridgeport, CT with his brother Richard. He attended Central High School where he met his future wife, Ellen Dorkin. From there Roger attended Yale University on a full scholarship. On June 16, 1966, he and Ellen were married and moved to Cambridge, MA, where he attended Harvard Law School.

After law school, Roger joined the law firm formerly known as Palmer and Dodge, becoming a partner in 1976. He was widely considered one of the most preeminent municipal bond lawyers in New England. He was bond counsel to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority for 20 years and led the firm’s renowned municipal bond practice, serving as counsel to hundreds of cities, towns and other political subdivisions in New England. He retired in 2009. He and his family lived in Stow, MA where he served on the Board of Selectmen.

In his free time, Roger enjoyed biking, running with the family dog, traveling with friends and family, playing with his grandchildren, listening to and playing music, and attending the theater. Roger remained an avid Yankees fan throughout his life, although willingly attended Red Sox games. He appreciated the peacefulness of nature while gardening and hiking. Roger and Ellen loved entertaining friends and family at their home on Cape Cod.

Roger always liked a challenging riddle or puzzle and will be remembered by many for his ability to quote lines from Seinfeld, for his stories, and above all, for his quick wit.

In addition to his wife, Roger is survived by daughters, Sara, Laura, and Elizabeth, sons-in-law, Evan, David, and Tim, and three grandchildren, Abigail, Max, and Maeve.

A celebration of Roger’s life will take place on June 24th at 12:30pm at The Dennis Inn in Dennis MA. Those wishing to honor his life can make a donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research or the ACLU.