Toni Sandra Snyder

Born April 23, 1949, in Newark, NJ, to the late Albert and Rhoda Zweibel, growing up with siblings George and Andrea, Toni’s early years were shaped by both imagination and determination. She taught herself how to design, pattern, and construct clothing for her Barbies. This led her to making her own clothes too! Toni graduated from Weequahic High School in 1967, and soon faced a choice that spoke to the strong currents in her life: art, fashion and a commitment to learning. After being accepted to the Fashion Institute of Technology and Parson’s The New School, Toni ultimately chose Montclair State College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Art Education in 1971, which became the foundation of a long and meaningful career.

Toni moved from Newark to South Orange, and eventually settled in Frankford, NJ, in 1984, where she raised her two girls, Melissa and Becky. Home, for Toni, was not only a place, but a life built with care, where family meant everything and made space for the everyday moments that become, in time, the most enduring. After all, her life’s Masterpieces were her daughters!

For most of her career, Toni taught as an art teacher at Rolling Hills Primary School in Vernon, NJ. For over 30 years, she loved and nurtured her students, their creativity, and her role within the school community, before retiring in 2010. In the patient rhythm of teaching, encouraging, guiding, and making room for each child’s point of view, Toni found a purpose that suited her.

Art was not simply something Toni taught; it was the language through which she moved in the world. She loved using her stone potter's wheel and created pieces with her own flair, adding unique faces to her spun clay. She also loved to paint and would play her favorite records while doing so. Her eye for color and form carried naturally into her passion for all things fashion, her love of thrifting for the perfect outfit, and the numerous closets packed full of her finds—each choice another small expression of Toni. When she wasn’t creating, she could be found country line dancing at the local VFW, among many other places, stepping into the music with a spirit that was both light and sure.

After retiring, Toni joined R.O.D.E.O., Retired Old Dames Eating Out, and enjoyed countless get togethers with many of the friends she made during her career, sharing conversation and laughter over a delicious meal. She also remained connected to the wider community through her membership on the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show's Art Committee, a fitting extension of a life spent honoring creativity and encouraging it in others.

Toni passed on her love of animals to her daughters, and together they shared a home with quite a menagerie over the years. Dogs, cats, chicks, ring-necked doves, hermit crabs, guinea pigs, and even rats all found a place in her heart. Among the many beloved companions she cherished were Trooper, Zumaradi, and her faithful favorite, Buster. She also leaves behind her grandkitty, Silverpaw, who will surely miss her.

Toni was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Albert and Rhoda Zweibel. She is survived by her daughter, Melissa Trey and her husband, Alois IV, and her daughter, Rebecca Snyder; her beloved grandchildren, Rhoda and Alois V; her sister and her husband, Andrea and Jerry Orgera; her brother and his wife, George and Brenda Zweibel; and her nieces Alyssa, Kate and Julie; and her nephew, Miles.

A celebration of Toni's life will be held at a later date. To all who knew her, her light, her joy and her boundless energy were truly contagious. She was always the last one dancing at the end of the night, but never the first one awake in the morning ;) Her beautiful smile was one of the things people loved most about her.

Online condolences may be offered to the family at www.smithmccrackenfuneralhome.com