Ann Duma Snyder

Ann Snyder was born in Ohio, in 1917. Having been separated from her parents, she grew up with family friends whose daughter, though 11 years older than she, this girl was like a sister to her and they remained close through the years. The depression years saw Ann began to work at a hospital to help the family earn enough income. After she finished high school; she set out to forge her own unique life.

While working at Westinghouse, Ann was selected to help demonstrate the first real working robot “Electro” and his robot dog “Sparko,” at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York, New York. The interaction between this robot and his human companion made history. Ann continued her work with Electro and Sparko until the outbreak of World War II.

Ann was one of the many brave and patriotic women that were so instrumental in helping The United States war effort. As a Quality Control Inspector, it was her job to confirm the three and five inch diameter naval guns were the best they could be and that all the components met or exceeded design specifications. One of her accomplishments, as an inspector, was to report that firing pins were not being placed in some of the weapons as they should. She was fluent in German and had discovered the faulty weapons were deliberately sabotaged by what turned out to be a band of Nazi sympathizers. They would communicate in German, thinking that no one would hear them and if they were heard, they were banking on the assumption they would not be understood. What they did not know was that Ann indeed overheard the conversations and reported them immediately. The group was arrested and later convicted as saboteurs. Ann received recognition by the Office of Strategic Service, which was later renamed the CIA.

As time passed, Ann met and married Dan Snyder and together, they had three children. Making the move west, she settled in Phoenix, Arizona and she called Phoenix her home from that day forward. Ann worked throughout the years and had a hand in America’s space program. While at a company called Chem Research, she inspected the quality of manufactured and gold plated components, many of which would be used in the Mercury Space Program rockets.

After working at the Phoenix City Employees Credit Union for 19 years, Ann decided it was time to retire in 1982. Always interested in show business, she decided to pursue a passion she had for entertaining that she sacrificed due to life’s circumstances. At age 67, she joined the Forever Young Dance Troupe and took up Tap Dancing. This led her to dance and perform in places like, Russia, England, Spain, Africa, as well as many places here in the USA. She also was a movie extra! Appearing in several films, she had the opportunity nosh with many stars. She met Morgan Fairchild, Peter Boyle, Jane Seymore and others during these times and had a lifelong friendship with Tom Poston. Tom Poston was a childhood friend of she and her husband’s and Tom had several overnight stays at her home in Phoenix, Arizona, whenever he was in town. Over the years, she and her husband spent many evenings, with Tom, at Trader Vics, in Scottsdale, Arizona. They would spend many happy evenings enjoying the food, fun and atmosphere of the Polynesian themed restaurant. It was there she first heard the song Werewolves in London, a song she always liked for its upbeat music and references to the restaurant. Her movies were shot locally or set somewhere in Arizona. Her portfolios of films were: Not Quite Human 2, Sunstroke, Nervous Ticks, Highwayman, Tortilla Road and Campus Man. In Campus Man, she was referred to as “woman eating in restaurant,” pretty exciting!

In 2006, Ann moved to Gilbert, Arizona to live with her son and family. Never one to settle down, she began to visit the Gilbert Senior Center and forged many friendships. She was a member Site Counsel, at the Senior Center, and she remained active daily until her passing on June 25, 2013, at the age of 95.