Mary Christina Snider

March 23, 1930 - January 9, 2010.

With her husband beside her Mary passed away peacefully January 8th at the Tuxedo Villa Nursing Home. Left to cherish her memory are her husband, Kenneth R. Snider, children: Don Snider (Tara) (Winnipeg), Nancy (Ross) Bailey (Thunder Bay, ON); grandchildren Alexandra, David, Shauna, Julia and Van, brother & sister in-law Stewart and Dulcie Snider, nieces and nephews David, Robert, James, John, Judith, & John. She was predeceased by her parents David & Florence Black, brother and sister in-law Neil & Nancy Black.

Mary Christina Snider was born in Winnipeg then three months later moved with her family to Yorkton, Saskatchewan. Growing up in Yorkton Mary accompanied her father hunting and loved to caddy for him at The Clear Lake Golf Course during summer vacations. She was an avid athlete who competed in speed skating, basketball, and tennis. She was a finalist for the Saskatchewan Junior Athlete of the year. In 1948 Mary was awarded the Royal Canadian Humane Association Honorary Testimonial and Medal of Valor after saving two people from drowning at Clear Lake and a year later rescuing a man in York Lake, Saskatchewan. Mary moved back to Winnipeg to attend the Winnipeg General Hospital Nursing School where she graduated with the class on 1951 “B” as a registered nurse. She developed lifetime friendships with her classmates and regularly organized class reunions. Mary met her future husband at the Winnipeg Badminton Club in 1953 and they married in 1956. They had two children and shared a love of golf and spent many happy holidays in places such as Florida, California, Texas and British Columbia. She was a long time member of the Niakwa Country Club and represented Manitoba five times on the Provincial Senior Ladies Golf Team. She was also instrumental as Badminton Chairman of the Wildewood Club in ensuring the Courts were rebuilt after a fire destroyed them in 1973. Mary was passionate about politics and worked on many Federal and Provincial elections and was made an honorary life time member of the Provincial Progressive Conservative Party.

The family would like to express their gratitude to all the staff at the Tuxedo Villa Nursing Home. A Memorial Service will be held at 10:00 a.m., on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at Thomson “In the Park” Funeral Home, 1291 McGillivray Blvd. Winnipeg.

In lieu of flowers donations in Mary's memory can be made to the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba or the Winnipeg Humane Society.

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Mary Snider (March 23, 1930 - January 9, 2010)

First of all I’d like to thank everyone, all Mary’s family and friends for coming here today to honour her.

Mary grew up in Yorkton Saskatchewan with her parents David & Florence Black and her older brother Neil. It was the dirty thirties and Saskatchewan was hit harder then any other area of Canada during the depression. This period shaped her life to a great degree. She learned the value of a dollar and how to stretch it. There were frequently strangers (unemployed travellers) at their dinner table who were less fortunate. She always looked after people who needed help.

Mary loved dogs. Although she owned only one dog as a child would constantly sneak strays home and keep them in her basement. She would smuggle food to her new friends until a wayward bark would tip off her parents. Dogs played a huge role in her life. As her memory began to fail I took my dog Libby to live with her for a couple of years. They were inseparable, and when it came time for Libby to come back home I’m not sure who was more disappointed, Mary or Libby.

Mary loved sports. During the winter she would play hockey everyday after school and hit the ball diamond in the summer. She was a leading member of her high school basketball team and organised tennis tournaments. While caddying for her father one day at a local tournament she won the women’s long driving contest. Ultimately she was a finalist for the Saskatchewan Junior Athlete of the year only losing to a future Olympic High Jumper.

After the Depression, the War broke out and Mary lost many friends who enlisted before they were 18 years old. Her father listened to the radio and read the paper rigorously every day to keep abreast of the latest developments in the war. This was a habit Mary kept up for the rest of her life. It was rare growing up that the CBC was not playing on the radio in the Snider household. Both Nancy & myself have kept up with this tradition. I just can’t shave if I’m not listening to the National News in the morning.

Mary always jumped right into things. This was very true, especially when she worked as a life guard during summer. First she saved two people one night at Clear Lake and then another the following summer at York Lake. When asked about the details of things she would just say that’s what you do. This was very representative of the way she approached all things her life. Just jump in!

Mary moved to Winnipeg where she studied to become a registered nurse. It was almost like a boot camp back then and she stayed in the Winnipeg Hospital Residences. She developed deep and long lasting friendships with the other girls that lasted her whole life. Mom was the key organiser of many class reunions through the years. Some people might have confused this role with that of a ring leader though. I remember parties raging to the early hours of the morning.

Then in 1953 she met her future husband at the old Winnipeg Badminton Club. Things didn’t go completely smoothly at first as I was reminded by her many times over the years that my father asked another girl to play mixed doubles in a tournament not long after they started to go out. Ultimately they were married in 1956 had the wedding in Yorkton. Not long after I came along and then my sister Nancy. They settled into their new house that Ken had designed and built in Fort Garry. Ken still lives there today. Growing up in this household I was never sure who was the actually boss. It was a true partnership.

Boy, and what a mum she was. She never hesitated speaking her mind. Nancy can attest to this when she was in Junior High School and our family were out for dinner at the local Chinese Restaurant “Bings”. There were only three tables occupied this particular evening and when we heard a loud belch from one of the other tables Mary stood up mockingly and applauded this rude gesture. Unfortunately the table she directed her attention to was the wrong one and poor Nancy just about crawled under our own table.

In the mid 60’s my Dad decided to leave the architecture firm was working for at the time and enter a National Competition for the design of the UBC Student Union Building. Mary supported him 100% with this decision. When he did ultimately win nobody was more proud then my mum. Securing employment and a pay check certainly helped inspire this reaction, as well. Mary had a way of keeping Ken on track. A story my father loves to tell was one summer when he couldn’t stop complaining on the golf course; it’s was too windy, the grass was too long, the greens too hard. After going on about the crappy condition of the course he looked up and there was Mary walking off. When he asked where she was going she told him she didn’t feel like playing with someone who was so negative (those weren’t her exact words). Ken got the message and his attitude changed along with lower scores.

She kept very busy while raising kids and supporting her husband. When Nancy and I started playing badminton at the Wildewood Club she became the Badminton Chairman. She was a live wire. She held the clubs first Sunday Morning Sinners session complete with Bloody Mary’s served to all. This tradition still carries on till today. Then at the end of the badminton season in 1973 the Club burned down. Times were tough at Wildewood and without her push there was a possibility that the Club may have been re-built minus the courts.

Mary was passionate about politics and helped in many campaigns. Candidates such as Bud Sherman, Charlie Birt and Rosemary Vodrey came to appreciate here skills as an organiser. They could count of her to get the job done and of course get the vote out. In 1999 she was awarded by Gary Filmon a Life Time Membership in the Progressive Party of Manitoba.

In the summertime Uncle Neil and Aunt Nancy along with our four cousins David, Robert, James and John would head out West for their annual trip to vacation at Katepwa Lake near Indian Head, Saskatchewan. Mary was their only Aunt and they just loved her spunk. This spunk was exhibited when she and her brother would debate the merits of Western alienation. Uncle Neil knew how to get a rise out of her and she bit every time. She was really proud to attend all their weddings.

The Snider’s also had a couple of memorable vacations. I remember travelling down to Texas one spring break. I had started to golf and both Mary and Ken were already avid about the game. After a couple of days of travelling around golf courses in a golf cart Nancy had had enough and demanded to go horseback riding. Mary skipped golf that day and took Nancy to a ranch to ride a horse. When Nancy’s horse just stood under a tree, Mary decided to jump in once again and fix things. Although she grew up in Saskatchewan she ride really didn’t know the first thing about horses. Ultimately she ordered Nancy off the horse and swung herself up into the saddle. Everything would have been fine except the slacks she had sewed herself split all the way from her knees to her crotch. Sometimes this frugal behaviour of hers had its drawbacks, but as far as Nancy was concerned now this was just fine as she couldn’t stop laughing for the rest of the day.

After my Nana had lived on her own for many years in Yorkton Mary was able to convince her to move to Winnipeg, where she rented an apartment on Manchester Boulevard not far from where we lived. Nana liked to think she was completely independent but it was funny how Mary took her shopping almost everyday and spent at least half her time at our house.

Mary and I had a special relationship especially on the golf course. You see, before I started to play I caddied for her. This was serious business. Early on in our partnership I questioned her desire when she missed a short putt. She didn’t say a thing, instead she reached into her golf bag and pulled out a dime, gave it to me and pointed to a bus stop on the highway and told me I was fired. We re-united the next tournament though, and her determination and strong competitive drive earned her a spot on the Manitoba Senior Ladies Golf Team five times. Not bad for someone who really never played regularly till she was 40.

When I got married and had my first child Alex something happened to Mary. Although she had always been proud of her family and accomplishments she had always maintained a dignified modesty. With the arrival of her first grandchild though, this all went out the window. All her friends and anyone she new would hear constant updates about Alex’s latest successes. As other grandchildren entered the scene; David, Julia, Van and Shauna this behaviour continued. She didn’t miss many competitions, whether it was Alex’s, Dave’s or Shauna’s badminton tournaments or Julia’s and Van’s sailing regattas she was there beaming with pride.

After my father retired, he and Mary started to spend most of their winters golfing in Texas. On one of these trips Ken collapsed and required emergency surgery. The recovery was slow but Mary was there at his side to look after him. Even though Manitoba Health offered to have a Nurse come in daily to treat an infection he had picked up in the hospital, Mary would have no part of it. Who better to treat Ken’s needs then she. And she did for a number of years after till he was completely recovered.

Mary was always there to help others out. Even in her last years at Tuxedo Villa Nursing Home she never walked by any of the other residents in the hall that she didn’t check to see if they needed anything. She also never gave up on anything in her life. I can’t think of anyone who would be tougher to compete against then my mother. That said, she was completely fair. And probably most importantly, she taught Nancy and me that relationships were an equal partnership.