Gary L. Snyder

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Snyder, Gary Lynn age 76 of Amelia Island, FL, passed away Saturday evening, February 15, 2014 at his residence. He was born on September 11, 1937 in Seminole, OK, the son of the late Sarah and Elzie Snyder. Mr. Snyder graduated from Seminole High School and Oklahoma State University from which he received a BS in Psychology in 1959. Later in his career he had the opportunity to complete the Executive Management Program in the Carlson School of Business at the University of Minnesota. While at Oklahoma State University, Mr. Snyder was an active member and officer of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity and has supported its Education Foundation for the past 50 Years. Mr. Snyder began his professional career with International Harvester in Oklahoma City. His work in the trucking industry led him to manage- ment positions with General Motors and from there to the Hertz Corporation. With Hertz, he held top level positions in Louisville, Chicago and New York where he was Vice President responsible for activity in the US and Canada at the Hertz corporate headquarters. Next, National Car Rental enticed Mr. Snyder to its headquarters in Minneapolis where he served as an officer with Lend Lease, National Car and ties to Household Finance. It was there that he was able to activate his entrepreneurial skills when in 1987 he conducted a leverage buy out (LBO) by purchasing the Finance Lease Truck Division of National Car Rental from its owner Household Finance which was at the time selling off its various subsidiaries. Mr. Snyder and his two partners then created their own companies which served as acquiring vehicles to purchase other corporations primarily in the leasing industry. At one time his companies owned over 10,000 units of transportation. Mr. Snyder was active throughout his life in both professional organizations affiliated with his industry and with civic activities supporting the communities in which he lived. In Minnesota he was a member of the Edina Rotary, was a major donor for the Minneapolis Guthrie Theater, participated in the Center of the American Experiment, was a Chavelier in the Minneapolis Bailliage of the Chaine des Rotisseurs (an International fine dining society), was a parishioner of Our Lady of Grace in Edina and enjoyed many years of membership at the Edina Country Club. Upon moving to Amelia Island FL, Mr. Snyder continued his involvement in Rotary and his support of the performing arts by also being a major donor for Amelia Community Theater (ACT). His love of fine dining continued and so he became one of the founding Conferes and an Officer of the newly established Amelia Island Bailliage of the Chaine des Rotisseurs. Other organizations he served and supported on Amelia Island included Micah's Place, the Amelia Island Museum of History, The Boys and Girls Club, Amelia Island Residents in Action for the Symphony (ARIAS), the Amelia Arts Academy, St. Michael's Catholic Church, and the Golf Club of Amelia Island. Mr. Snyder was preceded in death by his first wife of 38 years, Sandra Lynn Snyder. They were blessed with two daughters. Today Gary is survived by his loving wife Johnelle Foley Snyder whom he met in a grief support group in Minneapolis after both had lost their spouses to cancer. Gary and Johnelle married in 1998 and moved to Amelia Island in 2004. They knew they were blessed to have found each other and truly cherished each day they had together. Their special shared passion was travel and that passion took them literally every- where in the world. Throughout the world Gary made many, many friends. His warmth, his smile, his twinkling eye and quick wit were magnetic and he always had a joke. He loved people, life and laughter. Other survivors include daughters, Shelly (Tom) Halverson of Maple Grove, MN and Stacy Krausnyder of Amelia Island, FL; his grandchildren, JaderaMae Kraus of Amelia Island, FL, Andrew Halverson and Aaron Halverson of Plymouth, MN; his sister-in-law, Mary Lee Stephenson of Amelia Island, FL; his sister, Sondra (Doug) Schumacher and his step-father, Phillip Tanton, all of Tulsa, OK. A Mass of Christian Burial was held at St. Michael's Catholic Church on Amelia Island, Florida. A service of Prayer and Remembrance will be held in the Lakewood Cemetery Chapel, 3600 Hennepin Avenue S. in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Saturday, March 1, 2014 at 12:00 noon with a reception to follow in the Garden Mausoleum. Mr. Snyder will be en- tombed in the Lakewood Mausoleum. If so desired, memorials may be made in his name to Community Hospice of Northeast FL, 4266 Sunbeam Road, Jacksonville, FL 32257 or the American Cancer Society, PO Box 22538, Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1538. Washburn-McReavy.com Edina Chapel 952-920-3996

Published on February 23, 2014