Thomas Dean Snider

Tom was born on May 21, 1952 in Sandusky, Ohio to Monroe Frank “Moose” Snider, Jr. and Betty Bedell Snider. The original Tommy Boy from Sandusky, he was the youngest of eight children. He grew up in Bay Village, Ohio and attended Bay Village public schools before going to University School in Shaker Heights for high school, graduating in 1970. During the summer, Tom and his brothers attended Northwoods Camp on Lake Temagami, Ontario, Canada, referring to it fondly as “canoe camp.” That experience, along with growing up on the shores of Lake Erie, instilled in him a love of the water.

Tom studied at Stanford University, where he belonged to the class of 1974 and earned a B.A. in History with a minor in French. While at Stanford, Tom also attended Stanford-in-Tours, living with a host family in Paris, exploring museums, traveling around Europe, and honing his French skills. He remained fluent in French for the next five decades. After returning to Paris in June 1974, Tom also spent six months at L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland, an experience that forever shaped his intellectual and spiritual life.

After college, Tom moved to Portland, Ore., where he met his future wife of 49 years, Mary Jane Webb. They were married on March 12, 1977. Their three daughters, Sarah, Catharine, and Laura were born in Portland. In 1980, Tom began working for the United States Postal Service and was a letter carrier for the next 40 years. He worked at the West Slope Station in Portland and later the downtown and Templeton Gap Stations in Colorado Springs when the family moved there in 1992. He enjoyed driving his LLV, walking outside while delivering letters, and connecting with people on his route, many of whom became friends.

An athlete since grade school, Tom played football, basketball, and baseball throughout high school. Short stop was his favorite position. Later he became an avid runner and cyclist, running in the Hood to Coast relay race in Oregon and twice in the Pueblo Marathon in Colorado. He loved riding his bike throughout the Colorado Springs roads and trails, and he ran or biked to and from work each day. After retirement, Tom loved walking a two to four-mile loop up and down his neighborhood.

A person of deep faith, Tom believed strongly in prayer, scripture, and the Cleveland Indians. His daughters often woke up to find him rising early to read his Bible and pray before work. He rarely missed watching the Indians’ (now Guardians’) games, and he loved his family’s 2018 trip to the Indians’ spring training camp in Arizona.

Tom loved spending time with his wife, daughters, and grandsons, playing catch, studying books and learning new ideas, and talking to anyone he met. His quick wit kept everyone entertained and put them at ease. He had a lifelong love of music and enjoyed singing, dancing, and tapping his foot to an eclectic mix: Oldies, hymns, his daughters’ NSYNC albums, his wife’s country music, and his grandsons’ contemporary songs. If others enjoyed a song, Tom paid attention.

In recent years, Tom learned to draw while participating in family art groups and was a voracious reader, exercising his keen intellect and drawing comfort from his many books. Tom had a knack for cracking himself up, reading book passages aloud, memorizing baseball stats, and befriending strangers. He could spot a fellow Buckeye a mile away. His family will cherish his big spirit, faith, playful nature, and sharp mind.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Moose and Betty Snider, his sister Susan Snider, and his brothers Ned and Hank Snider. He is survived by his wife Mary Jane Snider, Colorado Springs, his daughters Sarah Schultz (Dan) of Ojai, Calif., Catharine Snider (Chris Nash) of Orleans, Mass., and Laura Yates (John) of Portland, Ore., his grandsons Ian and Tobin Schultz of Ojai, Calif., and his siblings Fritz Snider, Anne Ryun, Betty “Teeny” Jones, and Cate Miller.

In honor of Tom, please reread a favorite book, wave to your mailman, sing a song or say a prayer, and cheer for the Cleveland Guardians in the playoffs.

A funeral will be held at Grace and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 601 N Tejon St, Colorado Springs, Colo., the date and time to be announced later. All are welcome.