Dowen Ervin Snyder MD

Dowen Ervin “Buck” Snyder, 89, passed away due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease on January 1, 2026. Buck was born in Memphis on December 29, 1936, to father, William Ervin Snyder, and mother, Naomi Holly Nesbit Snyder. Buck was president of his senior class at Whitehaven High School (1955), received his B.A. in Biology from University at Southwestern at Memphis (1959), and received his medical degree from University of Tennessee at Memphis (1963).

Following completion of his residency in neurosurgery, Buck served in the U.S. Army, achieving the rank of captain from 1966 with service in Fort Lewis, Washington, and Vietnam in 1969. Upon completion of his military service in 1971, Buck practiced with the Canale, Snyder, Kellett, and Nadel Neurosurgery Group and the Semmes-Murphy Group for over thirty years at Memphis area hospitals, retiring in 2000.

Buck was preceded in death by his parents, older sister Martha, younger brother Ernie, brother-in-law John Hastings, and wife Carol. He is survived by his younger sister Margaret, his sister-in-law Judy, his son Scott, his daughter-in-law SoRhym, his daughter Joy, granddaughters Elliana (17) and Elyssa (14), and many members of his extended family.

Buck was an avid fan and supporter of Memphis Tigers football and basketball and a member of Bellevue Baptist Church, where he was an active member of the Brand Class for many years.

Donations in Buck’s memory may be made to Insight Memory Care in Fairfax, Virginia, where he was a cherished member for five years prior to his death. The family also wishes to express gratitude to the staff and management of Great Falls Assisted Living, which provided him with care and love during the last 2 ½ years of his life.

Visitation will be held at Memphis Funeral Home, located at 5599 Poplar Ave, Memphis, Tennessee, 38119, on January 15, 2026, from 12:00 PM until the funeral service at 1:00 PM. The committal service will immediately follow at Memorial Park Cemetery.