Phyllis Ann Snyder

Phyllis Kestenbaum Snyder passed away peacefully on November 26 at her home in West Palm Beach, FL. Phyllis was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, and a lifelong advocate for progressive causes. Throughout her life, Phyllis carried herself with a poise and confidence that belied her 4’11” frame. She was warm and caring to those who knew her, and was deeply loved by her family and many lifelong friends. Fiercely intelligent, occasionally stubborn, and famously detail-oriented, Phyllis used her super-powers to run her home, raise her children, and advocate for causes she believed in.

Phyllis was born on November 10, 1947 in New York, NY to Bernard and Helen Kestenbaum. She and her two older brothers, Marty and Jerry, grew up in Yonkers, NY surrounded by beloved aunts, uncles, and cousins. Phyllis attended Roosevelt High School in Yonkers, and she received a B.S. from Cornell University and a master’s degree from Columbia University Teachers College.

In the summer of 1968, Phyllis took a job as the assistant director of the waterfront at Camp Ma-Ho-Ge in Bethel, NY. The waterfront director was a young dental student from the other side of Yonkers, Bill Snyder. Phyllis and Bill married in 1971, and they would be inseparable for 54 years. Together, Phyllis and Bill would raise a family, travel the world, and pursue a never-ending parade of hobbies (racing hobie cats, windsurfing, skiing, scuba diving, and golf, to name a few). In Bill, Phyllis found a best friend and true life partner.

In 1974, Phyllis and Bill moved to Brookfield, CT, where they built their dream home on Candlewood Lake. Jokingly called Camp Snyder, Phyllis and Bill would host family and friends for lakefront barbecues, swimming, boat rides, and water sports. In the early years, Phyllis taught biology at Joel Barlow High School in Redding, CT, while Bill built a successful dental practice.

Soon after moving to Brookfield, Phyllis became active with the local Danbury, CT section of National Council of Jewish Women, a grassroots Jewish feminist organization. Phyllis would rise through the organization’s ranks, serving as the Danbury Section president, Connecticut State Policy Advocate, and several positions on the organization’s national board. She eventually became NCJW’s National President from 2005-2008. Phyllis was honored by the organization with the prestigious Hannah G. Solomon award in 1999. Throughout her time with NCJW, Phyllis was a passionate advocate for abortion rights and other causes, as well as a friend and mentor to countless women leaders. Phyllis’s work with NCJW would take her across the country, to the halls of Congress and the White House, as she advocated for progressive Jewish values.

Phyllis was a devoted mother to her two children, Dani and David. She instilled in them warmth and empathy, a strong sense of right and wrong, and a work ethic and organizational skills befitting of Phyllis’s kids. She taught them a love of theater, a commitment to public service and social justice, and the importance of standing up for what was right. Phyllis was immensely proud of her kids.

Phyllis was also a beloved grandmother to her three grandchildren, Parker, Jackson, and Ashton. She loved to hold them, play and read with them, and watch their personalities blossom. Phyllis spent her final summers living in Rhode Island so she could spend more time with her children and grandchildren.

In 2016, Phyllis was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor with a median survival rate of 14 months. Ever the over-achiever, Phyllis lived for more than nine years, six of them cancer-free. As she would tell anyone, those years were a gift, allowing her to know her grandchildren and spend quality time with family and friends.

Phyllis is survived by her husband William Snyder of West Palm Beach, FL; her daughter Dani Snyder-Young and son-in-law Daniel Young of Milton, MA; her son David Snyder and daughter-in-law Megan Snyder of Barrington, RI; her grandchildren Parker Young, Jackson Snyder, and Ashton Snyder; her brother Marty Kestenbaum and sisters-in-law Marjorie Kestenbaum and Gail Kestenbaum.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, December 2, at 12 PM, at Riverside Memorial Chapel, 100 Saw Mill River Road, Hawthorne, NY 10532, (914) 664-6800. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to National Council of Jewish Women, www.ncjw.org