Joseph Cecil Snyder

Obituary and information on legacy.com (here).

Joseph Cecil Snyder, 93, of Granbury, Texas, passed away peacefully at home on December 19, 2024, after a long and fulfilling life.

Joe was born on February 20, 1931, in Waco, Texas. He married Barbara Baxley on November 17, 1951. During their 52 years of marriage, they had three children: Russell, Andy, and Judy. Earlier in the same year of his marriage, Joe joined the United States Marine Corps. His training took him to southern California before ultimately being deployed in the Korean War. After being discharged from the Marines, Joe received a degree in Physics from San Diego State University. Shortly after, a career opportunity with a large heating and air company led Joe back to Texas where he lived in Irving for over 45 years and raised his family.

In retirement, Joe relocated to Granbury, Texas, where he resided with Yvette Kramer until his passing. He spent time managing his multiple rental properties, living life to the fullest, and spending quality time with his friends and family.

Joe was predeceased by his wife, Barbara Snyder, his parents John and Rosalie Snyder, and his sister Mary Elizabeth Snyder. He is survived by his wife, Yvette Kraemer, his children: Russell Snyder and wife Sharon Snyder, Andrew Snyder, Judy Carson and husband Royal Carson III, grandson Joseph B. Snyder and wife Celeste Snyder, great-granddaughter Madison Krivda, great-grandson Benjamin Snyder, sister Geraldine Kessenich, and many other family and friends.

A special thank you to all the wonderful individuals with Wings Over Texas Hospice who cared for and loved Joe in his final months of life. You are all true angels.

Visitation will be held at the Donnelly’s Colonial Funeral Home in Irving, Texas on Saturday December 28, 2024, from 9:00am -12:00pm. A celebration of life for friends and family will follow in the new year.

In lieu of flowers, Joe would have liked a memorial be made to a charity of your choice.

February 01, 2009

While I was living in Dallas, it was easy driving home each weekend to Waco, but when they transferred me to Houston things changed. coming home once a month and with the Korean War going on, with talk about being drafted, I decided to join up. the air force or navy wouldn't accept anyone with less than two years of college and as I was leaving the post office, I walked by the marine recruiting office and before I knew it I was on my why to Calif. arrived there in the middle of the night, knowing I had made the biggest mistake of my life. we had to wait several week before there were enough guys to start a new platoon for training. one morning around one or two, they marched us behind a mess hall, out walked a big belly mess sgt, asking for a few good texans, well I was from texas and I raised my hand, that was the last time I ever volunteered, I cleaned out garbage cans for two weeks not know that the rest of the world didn't like Texans. looking back I don't see how I survived, but looking around, there was no way I could quit. graduation day was great, the mean ID'S came around and talked like, well normal people. I came home in an air plane, the first time to fly. it was a DC3 and when I landed at Love Field I threw my guts outs all over the ground. what a wonderful experience for a big tough Marine.

JOE_SNYDER_1960_TO_1990

We moved into our house on Windsor in January of 1960 while it was snowing. the first thing you said was "how do you get out of this house" since the doors are not readily visible. I had to travel a lot and you and your mother went with me. Times were good but the factory branch was closed and I was without a job. I brought all the parts to my garage and became a parts distributor for Holly. I did some contract work for Holly and we got by ok. A company that did military base housing for the US government thought there could be money made by becoming a Holly Distributor. we went into partnerships and formed Holly Southwest. this lasted for several years until we ran out of money and I started Electric Comfort Engineering, later changed to Snyder Heating and Air. this lasted until I ran out of money. and York hired me.with their programs, name and my experience in being a dealer, I did very well. with nine salesmen working out of the Dallas York branch, I was selling 25% of what went out the door. worked there for 14 years and there was a branch manager change and the new person brought in his on team and I was without a job again (the new team lasted a little over a year and there was a major change after that) while working for York, I had the opportunity to get into the home building business, I built seven houses, also while doing all of this, I was teaching heating and air conditioning at the local junior colleges. Next chapter will be on missed opportunities.

I joined the Marines in Jan '51, Barbara and I married in Nov '51. on our way to calf, Barbara kept checking back to see if Lynda was born. in '53 I was shipped to Japan and your mother came out to calif to to drive back to texas with Barbara. I was discharged in Jan '54 and Barbara and I returned to calif to live in Hollywood while I attended Los Angeles City College and Barbara worked for the telephone co. in '57 we moved to San Diego where I attended San Diego State Univ. Russell was born in June of '58. when I graduated in'60, the air conditioning co I was working for offered me a job in Dallas. we lived with your grand parents for six months while our house in Irving was being built. when you see me driving around on a beautiful harley, you will know that I'll be ready to jump out of anything, with or without a parachute. but there are two catches. #1 harley's are very expensive and #2 my first rule is that "I have to be terminal"

Your Mother and I got married on November 17th, 1951. I was doing very well with my progress in the Marines, with my 126 IQ ( always thought I was dumb, until I went in the Marine Corps) I was given special training and even offered a commission, but you mother wanted nothing to do with the service. when I asked permission for leave in order to come home to get married, my platoon captain pitched a fit, I had to go to my company commander and get the leave. this pissed off my platoon captain, the information in my folder went to the toilet bowl, and in fact I missed out on a promotion because of it. when I was being discharged, I went up before some reenlistment officer and in so many words, I told them to stick it up up their butt. But I did come home and your mother and were married. after the service we left for Calif. first night in Ft Worth, then Snyder, Tx and on our way to Hobbs New Mexico, the motor in the car went out, we sent one or two nights in Hobbs. then on to the sights and sounds of Las Vegas. the morning we left, the car presented us with a flat. we did make it into Oceanside Calif on a dark night. the next day we started looking for a place to live. the nearest place was approx 50 miles away in the big town of Encinitas, but it was on the highway and all I had to do was stand along side the road and in no time was picked up. we stayed at that location for several months until the Marines went out on three weeks of training. your mother came home, I think by bus. when we both returned, it was decided that your mother had to find a job and the only place was in San Diego. we found a very nice place, unfurnished, went out and bought furniture to be delivered the next day, went back to our empty apt, and slept on the floor. every morning four other Marines that lived in San Diego rotated driving to and from Camp Pendleton. we had to leave around 4 o'clock in the morning and on one morning the sky lit up like sun rise, it was the results of an atomic bomb explosion. of course many morning we were stopped by the police wanting to know what we were doing. I was being sent to Japan in 1953 and Aunt Francis came out and drove back to Texas with your Mother while I was gone. coming back from Japan, I spent Christmas aboard ship in the middle of the Pacific. we docked in San Fancisco, and were stationed at Treasure Island, there I was discharged and rode a train back to Texas.

Growing older is ok, but it does have it's disadvantages. I have lost all my friends, my close friends and the ones I had in my two bridge clubs. Jim Hubbard is dizzy and has a hard time walking, ken smith lost his nose and his kids have put him in to an early grave. Right now I don't have, what one would call a friend, and friends are hard to come by. I am not complaining, just making a statement. If It wasn't for work on my rental property, and my commitment to my renters, I think my life was over, that is if it was't for you kids, and that is saying a lot. Thanks for turning out the way you all have. But don't concern yourself about me, I am doing fine, even better that fine. I do miss living on the square and all the activities that take place, like this weekend memorial day festival on the square. I miss our store, and the opportunity to talk with all the people that walked in our door. Now I go to the square and drive by my building, and really have no connection or belonging with anything on the square. My mayor had a stoke and is out of the picture, I have contributed to several on the city council, including the new mayor, but feel no relationship. The public housing authority has kept me in the loop, But I have learned the stupidity of the federal government, I feel like puking. The deficit of the federal govern and the mess this country is in, I feel so helpless. Right now I don't have a political party that speaks for me. I know I have lived in the "golden era of the US, and I worry what you three will see in your lives, and especially, ""Madison". I know I have unloading, but I felt like doing it. I love all of you very much. I will keep sending messages for the next ten or more years, so I am sooty, you may get more of this. Love from your Dad

From: Joe Snyder
Date: June 15, 2017 at 4:36:38?PM MDT
To: Judy Snyder
Subject: To my beautiful daughter

Thank you for my Father's Day card. You may not know it, but I have saved all the cards you have sent me from the word go. They are in several places, one of these days I will put them all together and show you.

Love. Your. Dad

From: Joe Snyder
Date: May 12, 2013 at 6:05:30?PM MDT
To: Andy Snyder , Judy Snyder, Russell Snyder
Subject: Mother's Day

I hope you have had a great day today, remembering your Mother. She loved all of you and enjoyed all of your accomplishments. Her life was taking care of you kids, she was there when you came home from school, she gave you a safe and secure environment when you were at home, there was always food on the table, and clean clothes to where. During sport time she was at two places at once. I was glad we had her as long as we did. Love from your father

From: Joe Snyder
Date: September 2, 2012 at 8:11:37?PM MDT
To: Andy Snyder , Judy Snyder , Russell Snyder
Subject: After a few drinks

After a few drinks, I was just thinking how lucky I have been. I don't know if you guys know how hard it is to talk about my kids. I know that baby arrive without direction, But why do so many people have such stupid, dumb and ignorant kids, that require so much attention and support in their adult life. But today, I met another person that I was able to talk to about my kids. She had four kids that turned out just great, all are successful, self sufficient, law abiding, great citizens, with the ability to be their their own person, and above all, with the ability to think. I told her that describes my three kids to a "T". Normally I have to be careful when people start taking about their kids, but recently, I have had this feeling that I need to tell the world about my great kids, and I have done so. If your ears have been burning lately, it is because of you three. Love from your. Dad