Michael Kirk Snyder

Michael Kirk Snyder, the oldest son of Emelie Kirk Snyder and Marvin Kinyon Snyder, entered this life in Iola on December 21, 1949, and left it on September 12, 2024 after an 11-year courageous battle with prostate cancer.

Mike spent his childhood in Overland Park, Kansas and graduated from Shawnee Mission West High School (1967). After graduation, Mike headed to Kansas State University where he completed a BS in chemistry in 1971. Being in ROTC, he entered the Army Chemical Corp as a Second Lieutenant and was stationed at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, where he taught at the Chemical, Biological and Radiological School, advancing to First Lieutenant. Though this was the Vietnam era, he thankfully remained stateside and left active duty in 1973. Then followed two years in the Army Reserve.

Music was always an important part of Mike's life. He was an accomplished flutist and participated in the Kansas City Youth Symphony as a boy. He even met his wife Martha Elizabeth (Beth) Benson when they both were in the KSU orchestra, after being set up by a mutual friend. After an underwhelming first date, they agreed to try again and the second date clicked. They were married May 20, 1972, following Mike's graduation at which time Beth joined him at Ft. Knox.

Upon leaving active military duty in 1973, he returned to KSU where he earned his Master's Degree in Agronomy in 1978 while in the Army Reserve. Beth finished up her teaching degree and began working near Manhattan, and in 1977 they welcomed their first daughter, Gwyn. In 1978, the young family moved to Overland Park where Mike took a job with Midwest Research Institute while completing a Master's Degree in Water Resources Management and Hydrology from The University of Kansas. Gretchen was born a year later in 1979.

Mike's dream since childhood had been to live closer to the headquarters of the Lemurian Fellowship in Ramona, California which was the spiritual center of his life. He accomplished this life-long goal by first taking a job at the Overland Park office of Woodward Clyde Consultants. After a couple of years, he happily accepted a transfer to the San Diego office and the family moved to Rancho Peñasquitos, in San Diego, in October, 1985. There, he helped create the national site assessment template used for researching whether a site had hazardous waste on it, which had become required information before a property could be sold. At Woodward Clyde he started a successful mentor program and was the first to urge management to give women a choice of whether to work full or part-time after starting their families, which the company then adopted as policy. In 1995, Mike left Woodward Clyde Consultants and founded Snyder Consulting, doing site assessments throughout San Diego and Riverside Counties. This job shift gave him freedom to work from home and spend more time at the Lemurian Fellowship property, which members lovingly call Gateway.

Mike was also an avid bicyclist and biked to work on a regular basis in Manhattan and Overland Park Kansas. He even biked the 15 miles from Peñasquitos to the Woodward Clyde offices as much as two to three times per week in his prime.

In 2001 when their two daughters were grown, Mike and Beth retired from their jobs and fulfilled their goal of joining the Lemurian Fellowship staff in Ramona, where Mike served for over 20 years. Mike assumed the main responsibility for a large organic garden and for landscaping and maintenance of the grounds, including installation and upkeep of irrigation and water systems. He loved being outdoors and tooling around the garden and grounds. Over his many years as a staff member, he grew to be counted on for multiple aspects of the Lemurian Crafts and even earned the nickname, “Mr. Gateway.”

Mike is survived by his wife of 52 years, Beth; daughters Gwyndolyn (Kevin) Dill of Lenexa, KS and Gretchen (Darin) Schmanke of Overland Park, KS; grandchildren Lemuel and Janae Dill, and Maya and Nolan Schmanke; brother Kent (Phyllis) Snyder of Portland, Oregon; nephew Bryce and niece Taegan Snyder; sister-in-law Brenda Parscale and niece Erin Boelkens of Little Rock, AR.

The family is planning a memorial service for Mike in Ramona, CA on November 25, 2024. If you would like to attend the service in person please RSVP to Gretchen Schmanke at gretchentae@gmail, or you are welcome to attend virtually via the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82341320926?pwd=kcFBbUmDMDbtdbJnCLLnBHntbycUy4.1