Sheridan Gray Snyder

Sheridan “Sherry” Snyder, of West Palm Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully at his home on December 12, 2022 at the age of 86. Mr. Snyder was born on October 20, 1936 in Glen Cove, New York, the son of George Snyder and Edythe Wayne Ryan Snyder and brother to Anthony Wayne Snyder.

Sherry leaves three children, Deborah Jayne Snyder Warren (Barry) of Durham, New Hampshire; Lisa Gray Snyder of West Palm Beach, Florida; and Sheridan Douglas Snyder, of Portland, Oregon, 5 grandchildren, Christopher Ryan DeGrace, Andrew Daniel DeGrace, Matthew Stephen DeGrace, Sheridan Nelson Snyder, Ashton Boone Snyder and great grandson, Carter Ryan DeGrace.

Mr. Snyder attended The Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, NJ from 1950 - 1953 from and graduated high school from Friends Academy in Locust Valley, NY in 1954.

He then attended The University of Virginia from 1954 to 1958 and graduated with a degree in French and Romance Languages. He was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and played on the Varsity Tennis and Soccer teams. He played number one singles tennis for three of his four years at The University.

Mr. Snyder’s love of tennis extended well beyond his college years and as an ambassador of the sport. He led the Nassau Invitational Tennis Tournament at the Nassau Country Club in Long Island, New York, an annual tournament that was a mainstay in the U.S. Amateur Tennis Tour. He was an active advocate in the growth of professional “Open” era tennis as the Vice Chairman of the US Open Tennis Tournament held at the Westside Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York, in 1968 and 1969.

Concurrently, My Snyder co-founded the National Junior Tennis League (NJTL) in 1969 alongside Arthur Ashe and Charlie Pasarell. The three founders envisioned the NJTL to reach young people in inner cities and to use tennis as a platform to teach them important life lessons. Known today as the National Junior Tennis and Learning Network, the organization represents 300 chapters throughout the United States and provides education and personal growth through tennis to over 200,000 youth per year.

In 2016, Mr. Snyder received the Samuel Hardy Award from the International Tennis Hall of Fame in recognition of long and outstanding service at the national level to the sport of tennis.

As a NJTL co founder with Arthur Ashe (posthumous) and Charlie Pasarell, Mr. Snyder was awarded the 2019 Serving up Dreams Award presented to individuals who embody the values of dedicated service to help advance the USTA Foundation mission and NJTL network.

Professionally, Mr. Snyder was a successful lifetime entrepreneur who was a catalyst for bringing innovative ideas to life. He was a leader of leaders to make the “impossible” possible for the benefit of many.

Mr. Snyder’s entrepreneurial pursuits touched a broad range of innovations, from the advent of automated office mailing machines (Cambridge Mailing Machines) and novel “Instapak” foam-in-place packaging, to recombinant protein biotechnology therapies for treatment of rare diseases.

His entry into the biotechnology industry began with the founding of Genzyme Corporation in 1981 in Boston, Massachusetts. Genzyme’s business focused on developing diagnostics and therapeutics for enzyme deficiency diseases. The company developed a life saving therapy for patients of Gaucher’s Disease based on the research of Dr. Roscoe Brand and the National Institutes of Health. The company grew to employ 10,000 people worldwide.

Other biotechnology companies included Biotage, Upstate Biotechnology, and Biocatalyst. Mr. Snyder was an active mentor to many young entrepreneurs who have gone on to make countless valuable contributions to innovation and society.

His influence across the broader landscape of entrepreneurship in biotechnology is immeasurable, spanning over 40 years and impacting thousands of lives.

As Chairman and Chief Executive of Upstate Biotechnology, Mr. Snyder established research collaborations and commercial partnerships between the United States and The United Kingdom. He received prominent honors for his leadership and influence within the UK biotechnology space, including, an honorary Doctorate from the University of Dundee and the OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 2005 by HM Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of the British government. The OBE recognizes significant contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organizations, and public service.

Mr. Snyder was a passionate and long time supporter of his alma mater University of Virginia, and made several impactful gifts leading to the building of the Snyder Tennis Center and the Sheridan G. Snyder Translational Research Center.

Sherry’s legacy as a visionary and builder of new ideas and organizations will remain well beyond his lifetime thanks to his vision, dedication, eternal optimism, and inspiration of great minds to do great things.

A Private Family Service for Sherry will be held on Saturday, June 24, 2023.