James Corwin Snyder

James Corwin Snyder, 94, went to be with the Lord on Friday, May 1, 2026 while living in Fort Worth, Texas. Jim was born June 13, 1931 in Marshall Texas, to Corwin Albert (C.A.) and Norma Lee Snyder. He graduated from Byrd HS in Shreveport LA, where he was active in Boy Scouts and the JROTC Rifle Corps, earning marksmanship awards. After one semester in college, Jim enlisted in the Air Force during the Korean conflict. He joked that he was a draft dodger; he joined the Air Force to avoid being drafted into the Army. His tour of duty was spent entirely in the States, teaching other airmen to repair airplanes. It was when he was transferred to Bryan AFB that he met the love of his life at church, his wife of 69 years, Naomi Munday Snyder. They were inseparable, always sharing in and encouraging each other in their interests and hobbies.

After the Air Force, Jim finished a bachelor's degree in Industrial Arts from North Texas State College, now known as the University of North Texas. He moved his budding family to Fort Worth in 1957, where he obtained a masters degree from NTSC while he taught woodshop, metal shop and drafting in the Fort Worth ISD at McLean Jr High, Arlington Heights HS, and during the opening years of Southwest HS, where he created the original artwork for the “Rebels” mascot. After a stint in drug education for the Region 11 Educational Service Center, he became the elementary school principal in Bandera Texas, finishing his career in teaching at San Antonio College. In 1990 Jim retired in order to pursue a hobby in restoring and repairing antique clocks. He loved making things, from lamps and kites to building homes and green houses. While he could fix anything, he also had a creative side expressed in making jewelry and carving beautiful chess sets out of mahogany.

Always busy, Jim celebrated his mid-60s by building a cabin in South Fork, CO, where he and Naomi decided to live full-time. There he enjoyed clock repair, snowmobiling, ice fishing and church work. In 2014 they moved back to Fort Worth to be near their daughter, where they were active in the Keller Church of Christ for the remainder of their lives.

Jim loved children and teaching, and he had a passion for helping and mentoring young people. Wherever Jim and Naomi lived they always found a church and became very active in the ministries there. During their first sojourn in Fort Worth, they raised their children in the Rosemont Church of Christ, where Jim served as a deacon and in ministry to the high school-age students in the church. They also became involved with Christ’s Haven for Children in Keller, serving as substitute houseparents and helping renovate some of the original cottages. Later, after moving to the Texas Hill country, he served one year at Medina Children’s home as a counselor to the young people who lived there, and they also worked and worshiped at the Sydney Baker Church of Christ in Kerrville. While living in South Fork, he helped build the South Fork Church of Christ.

Jim was preceded in death by his wife Naomi, his parents C.A. and Norma Snyder, and a brother, Warren Snyder. He is survived by a brother, Kenneth Snyder, a daughter, Susie Snyder Steeves and her husband Guy, a son, James Corwin Snyder II and his wife Patty Capshaw Snyder. Surviving adult grandchildren are Joel Steeves, Chad Steeves, Laurel Snyder Smith and her husband Micah, Travis Snyder, Alyssa Snyder Garcia and her husband Jeremy. Jim loved his five beautiful great-grandchildren: Archer, Everett and Ember Smith, and Joseph and Elijah Garcia.

Honorary pall bearers are Corwin Snyder, Travis Snyder, Guy Steeves, Joel Steeves, Chad Steeves, Micah Smith, Jeremy Garcia, and Allen Munday.

A graveside service for James will be held on Thursday, May 7th at 1pm at Bryan city Cemetery, where he will be laid to rest next to his wife, Naomi Snyder.