Stanford Irwin Snyder

Stanford I. Snyder, known to friends as “Stan”, died peacefully of natural causes on February 19, 2016. Stan is survived by his wife Bridget Snyder, brother David Snyder, former wife Jerry Steen, daughter Julie Pildner, son Kyle Snyder, and three grandchildren. He is predeceased by sister Sue Johnson. Stan’s passion was music and he was lucky enough to have a successful career as a music industry executive and play jazz piano throughout his life. With music as the backdrop, he forged many lifelong friendships. Stan was a natural storyteller and due to his rich life experiences always had an entertaining story to share. Stan’s career at Columbia Records, and later at Cleveland International Records, put him at the epicenter of the music industry during the heyday of Rock and Roll. He headed the Sales Department in Columbia’s San Francisco office in 1968. While there, he worked with musicians that became some of the country's most influential acts, like Santana and his friend Janis Joplin. He returned to Columbia’s headquarters in New York where he held positions as VP of Marketing and VP of National Sales. Stan left Columbia Records to co-found Cleveland International Records in 1977. Cleveland International’s biggest release was the mega selling album by Meat Loaf, “Bat Out of Hell.” Although Stan was often around many famous Rock and Roll personalities, he was happiest with his friends and family. He especially loved jazz from the late fifties and early sixties. Stan regularly saw many of the genre’s icons perform at their highest powers at classic New York jazz clubs like Birdland and the Village Vanguard. He felt fortunate to attend many now legendary performances and eventually meet many of his musical heroes. Born in Chicago, IL, Stan was raised in Riverside, CT and attended Riverside Elementary School and Brunswick School. He was a multisport athlete and talented musician, playing piano in bands starting at age twelve. He was a lifelong member of the Riverside Yacht Club. Stan proudly served in the United States Marine Corps from 1958 to 1959. He graduated from Yale University in 1962 and later attended Columbia Business School. In 1964 Stan left Columbia Business School for an entry level position at Columbia Records which was the beginning of his career in the music industry. Stan’s life was full of long lasting friendships. He remained close to his Riverside childhood friends throughout his life. He was a generous, kind, and fun person who enjoyed life and loved to tell stories of his many adventures. He was inseparable from his best friend and wife, Bridget, since they met in 1989. He was loved by his family and friends. A celebration of Stan's life will be held on March 2, 2016 at 1:00pm at the Riverside Yacht Club, Riverside, CT. In lieu of gifts please make donations to the Wounded Warrior Project. Online condolences may be made by visiting www.leopgallaghergreenwich.com