A beloved fixture on campus, “Saga” Steve Casai ’74, is recuperating at Hillsdale Community Health Center.
“He is on the road to recovery and defying all rumors flying around about him,” Bon Appétit General Manager Dave Apthorpe said, referring to claims on social media that Casai had died.
Doctors at the University of Michigan Medical Center operated on Casai two weeks ago, partially removing a brain tumor and mending skin lesions, according to Bud Vear, Casai’s longtime friend.
On Monday, Sept. 7, Casai, a four-decade employee of the college, did not arrive for his shift.
“We knew something was wrong,” Apthorpe said.
He called Casai’s landlord, who found Casai unresponsive in his home.
An ambulance transported Casai to HCHC, from which he was life-flighted to Ann Arbor.
While Casai recovers in Hillsdale, he is able to receive visitors, but Apthorpe said to “refrain from visiting right now.”
He said anyone wanting to send him well wishes can drop off cards and other items in a basket in the Knorr Dining Room.
Senior Elise Steffke, a student employee for Bon Appétit, said she grew close to Casai during work shifts and described his absence as “heartbreaking.”
“He is a sweetheart who cares for the students and community,” Steffke said. “Without Steve, it’s like that heart is gone.”
Steffke added that upon entering the cafeteria, everyone misses the “Saga” Steve smile.
Admissions counselor Anna Saewert ’12 said she connected with Casai over their shared love of the arts and his recent absence from a concert they had discussed attending made it “unavoidable to notice something was wrong.”
“He’s such a consistent supporter of music, and he has his own spot in Markel where he always sits,” Saewert said.
“When I go to performances, it’s natural for my eyes to wander to that direction because it was consistent that he was sitting in that spot.”
Saewert said his empty chair at the concert highlighted his dependability.
“That you could count on him being there said so much about his love for the arts and his enthusiasm and support of the student body and college,” Saewert said.
Apthorpe said Bon Appétit wants to work with anybody on campus to honor Casai and will continue to deliver him well wishes.
One such project comes from the Suites Resident Assistant team, which is sewing a prayer quilt that will be hung up in the Grewcock Student Union within the next couple weeks for anyone to sign or write a note.
“We want to combine the sentiments of students into one tangible thing,” Suites Co-House Director Natalie McKee said.
While many described Casai as a “quiet presence,” his impression on campus is deep—emphasized by the void created by his hospitalization.
“In his absence,” Apthorpe said, “we have truly realized what he contributed.”