Jeffrey S. Snodgrass

On February 13, 2016 Jeffrey S. Snodgrass, 60; loving husband of Patricia Snodgrass for 33 yrs.; beloved father of Grace and Hope Snodgrass and the late Philip Snodgrass; devoted son of Charles and Twila; dear brother of Jack, Charlie Snodgrass and Mary Wallach; loving brother-in-law and uncle to the Snodgrass and Donges families.

The family will receive friends at the LEMMON FUNERAL HOME OF DULANEY VALLEY INC., 10 W. Padonia Road (at York Road) Timonium, Maryland 21093 on Friday, February 19, 2016 from 3 to 5PM and 7 to 9PM. A memorial service will be celebrated at Chestnut Grove Presbyterian Church, 3701 Sweet Air Road, Phoenix, Maryland 21131 on Saturday, February 20, 2016 at 2:30PM. Interment Private.

A guest book is available at www.lemmonfuneralhome.com

From Jeff's girls:

Jeff was everything to our family: our protector and security, role model, sense of humor, confidante and friend. He guided his children to set and reach high expectations, and never failed to support us when we struggled. He nurtured our family to grow into our own individuals, and he was as passionate about our personal interests and aspirations as he was his own. Above all else, he wanted for his children and wife to experience the same fulfillment and the same joy that he found through a life of faith, learning, laughter and courage. He supported our careers and continued education fiercely, ever the proud and attentive dad and husband.

Jeff was born and raised in Hamilton, where he attended Garrett Heights Elementary and Northern High School. As a child he was curious and a fast learner, often reading the encyclopedia for hours at a time to stay occupied. His hunger for learning would follow him into adulthood and remain one of his most marked characteristics. After losing his father at a young age, Jeff was blessed to have his mother, Twila, and his grandmother, Grace Loudenslager to guide him. He remembered their courage, grace and strength always.

While attending college at Miami University, Jeff worked as a short order cook and majored in chemistry. He substitute taught after graduation before taking a job with the Baltimore City Police Department Crime Lab as a photographer. Ever the early adopter and fast learner, he became an early software developer and gained high-level security clearance to take on contract work to develop new software systems for the NSA. This work led to a position with the Port of Baltimore and the Maryland Port Administration where he was in charge of buying and customizing their new computerized shipping system. He loved this work for the challenge and for the relationships he was able to build across the port and always spoke of it fondly.

Jeff worked at the Port for nearly ten years before moving to a project management roll for Oracle and several smaller information technology companies. Within this work he enjoyed the opportunity to work closely with employees at the Internal Revenue Service and the freedom to work from home. This allowed him to be a constant presence in the lives of his children – and our beloved Shih Tzu, Pao Ling – while working full time; summer vacations and days off spent with Jeff were a prize that the three kids came to cherish.

Always a man of great faith, in his later years Jeff began work towards a life of ministry and service in the Presbyterian Church. He completed his Masters of Divinity from Columbia International College in South Carolina and was a candidate for ordination under the care of the Presbytery of Baltimore. While working towards his ordination, he did chaplaincy work at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center; he always felt he had a gift for comforting families in their darkest times and was grateful for the chance to bring comfort to many. He served as the interim pastor at Churchville Presbyterian Church and was an active member of Chestnut Grove Presbyterian in Phoenix. Here he dove into his church membership, establishing Operation Christmas Child and sustaining the volunteer program at Baltimore Station. He would sometimes visit Baltimore Station on his own during the week to bring pizza and visit with the veterans there.

Jeff pursued a number of passions in his lifetime and never became interested in a topic without becoming an expert. Photography, music, landscaping and gardening, biking and fishing were among the interests that became hobbies that became talents. He set an example for our family of taking on new endeavors wholeheartedly – and with a good amount of research – and leading a full and exciting life by keeping yourself engaged. Chief among his interests was history, the history of the Civil War and World War II in particular, and battlefields and cemeteries factored into family vacations in a key way. Jeff spent years visiting courthouses and cemeteries throughout the mid-Atlantic to research his own family’s genealogy. His work eventually enabled him to connect the Snodgrass family back through the American Revolution to the Norman conquest and the Knights Templar. He and Philip proudly joined the Sons of the American Revolution in 2011. After losing Philip suddenly in 2015, Jeff followed a lifelong interest in horses to learn about equine therapy programs; he enrolled in classes at Cecil College and was working with the Freedom Hills Therapeutic Riding Center in Port Deposit to earn his certification as a PATH teacher. When he died, he was excited about the chance to continue his work with veterans and children in equine therapy classes.

Jeff cherished the roll as family protector, first as a devoted and caring son to his mother and grandmother and continuing into how deeply and fervently he loved his wife and children. He put our family ahead of all else, and never ceased to find new ways to surprise us or make us happy; hand-written notes, surprise packages, and warm e-cards brightened our days regularly. He was a champion for his children and their interests and success – he attended every school conference, every concert and ceremony, he led Philip’s Boy Scout troop, and coached Grace’s basketball team – and always held us to high standards for our efforts. With his trademark emphasis on the importance of education, Jeff worked on his kids’ school projects with vigor, took them to private music lessons, and encouraged (and required) them to read read read when on summer break.

Jeff combined his love for his family, history and travel in elaborate and thoughtfully planned trips. Each year our family visited Hershey Park and Busch Gardens and Myrtle Beach, and took bigger trips across the country in our family conversion van – a beloved and cherished space for Jeff and the entire family. With “I Love Lucy” episodes playing on the TV, the family traveled to Disney World or to Springfield, Illinois, or to Boston, always with Jeff and his detailed itinerary guiding the way. Throughout several of these trips, Jeff had the kids keep journals of their experiences, never failing to combine fun and family with learning. Despite some gripes, we found our dad’s love of learning and enthusiasm for history – and cemeteries – infectious. Our family treasures those trips and recalls them often.

More recently, Jeff and Pat struck out on their own travels, first to Europe for a 30th anniversary celebration, then to Niagra Falls, a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway, and the Grand Canyon. They visited extended family in Indianapolis countless times, and Jeff loved the time he spent with his nieces, nephews and their own children, setting off fireworks for the 4th of July or taking them on pony rides. He also enjoyed hosting friends and family at his home, which he took pride in keeping spotless and welcoming and filled with artifacts from a busy life together. He was famous for renting karaoke machines and ice cream carts for big celebrations.

When Jeff fell ill in the winter of 2016, there were many things ahead of him to accomplish: raising chickens, visiting the south of France, and learning more about the Maryland Racing Commission chaplaincy program. This was his way, always seeking to learn more and explore new interests, and in another number of months there would have been just as many new adventures he was looking forward to experiencing. Above all else, we know he would have continued to love his family ever more deeply, teaching and guiding and protecting and cherishing us as he did every day of his life.