Earl Jeffrey ‘Jeff’ Snyder, 86, of Gardnerville, Nev., died Oct. 29, 2011, at home surrounded by his family.
He had been in declining health for several years. However, until the few weeks before his death, his courageous spirit and sense of humor shone more brightly than his symptoms.
He was born in Oakland, Calif., on Sept. 25, 1925, and grew up in Los Angeles. He attended Pasadena Junior College, where he was enrolled in a pre-veterinary medicine program and played football. He served in the U.S. Navy as a Pharmacists’ Mate from 1944 to 1946.
He married Shirley Rissman in 1949 and they settled in Wisconsin, where they raised five children. In 1997 they moved to Gardnerville, Nev., to be closer to their daughters. There they wrote a ‘last chapter’ filled with new friendships and exploration of their new surroundings.
He spent his career in sales for a trucking transport company and also operated his own business, Snyder Trucking.
He was an avid trout fisherman and sports fan and cheered on his beloved Green Bay Packers and Wisconsin Badgers until the end.
Survivors include his beloved wife; children, Julie (Joe) Nolte, Gardnerville, Jeff (Karen), Rochester, Minn., Jay (Diane), Des Moines, Iowa, Janet (Will) Cates, Las Vegas, Jennifer, Oakland, Calif.; grandchildren, Emily and Elliott of Rochester, Derek and Nick of Des Moines; and his sister, Patricia (Kenneth) Dick, Covina, Calif.
A celebration of life service is Tuesday, Nov. 22, at 3 p.m., at St. Galls Catholic Church. FitzHenry’s Carson Valley Funeral Home is serving the family.
Memorial gifts in his memory may be made to St. Galls Catholic Church, 1343 Centerville Lane, Gardnerville, NV; Austin’s House, P.O. Box 784, Minden, NV 89423; The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Church Street Station, P.O. Box 780, New York, NY 10008-0780.
-
-
-
-
-