Robert Terry “Bob” Snyder
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Robert Terry “Bob” Snyder, of Sharon and Boca Raton, originally from Brighton, passed away on Friday, August 2nd at the ripe old age of 83. Bob was the son of Morris and Blanche Snyder and the beloved husband of 56 years to Mary Butler Snyder. Father to Robbie (Monsey, NY) and Rebecca Snyder (Sharon, MA), Bob was fortunate enough to have 10 grandchildren—Zach and Julia Weiss and Sruli, Blumie , Gedalya, Menachem, Rochela, Hadassa, Yehudah and Moshe Chayim Snyder. More recently, Bob’s grandchildren in Jerusalem, Israel gave him the additional ‘nachas’ of 3 great grandchildren in Bassie and Dovid Axelrod and Eliyahu Snyder.
Bob grew up in Brighton as an only child where his father owned a pharmacy on Lake Street at the end of the streetcar line across from Boston College. With close proximity to Newton, Bob or “Terry” as he was often called, had a strong connection to the town and grew up with many of his friends being from Newton school system. He would often speak fondly about his memories working at the Sidney Hill Country Club in Newton. As for himself, Bob attended Lawrence Academy and the New Prep School, where he was the Manager of the Hockey team. He would then go on to attend Babson College as well. Perhaps because he was an only child, friendships were of supreme importance to Bob and as such, he was relentless in keeping up with old friends and classmates in a way which was uncommon. In some cases, making an effort to find lost friends from grade school!
Bob was grateful for the opportunities that he had to traverse the globe whether it was traveling to the Far East to open a factory in China, to Israel to serve as the ‘sandek’ at his grandson’s bris, to Cowpet Bay in St. Thomas to enjoy vacation with his family or to resorts around the US for business conferences where he insisted on bringing his wife and kids along. He also loved escaping to Ogunquit, ME with friends for a weekend or even for a quick lunch get away with this beloved wife Mary. And yet, his favorite places were his two homes—Sharon and Boca Raton. Despite having numerous business opportunities to move elsewhere, Bob somehow could never leave Sharon- a town that he loved both for its beauty, serenity and strong sense of community. “The lake”, Lake Massapoag, held a special place in Bob’s heart as a place where he raised his kids across many wonderful summers and as a place where he often went, even recently with Mary, to just sit and contemplate the great life that he had been given. He gave back to the Town of Sharon too, serving on the Capital Outlays and other committees where he shared his business acumen and ability to get things done with others. During his later years, Bob cherished the moments that he was able to spend at the Boca Woods Country Club where he developed friendships with people of all ages and backgrounds.
Bob’s work ethic and sales acumen were legendary. After a brief stint in the shoe industry, Bob made his way into the electrical industry working for Red Dot before spending most of his career growing Carol Cable, a significant North American manufacturer of wire and cable. Starting out as a regular salesman, Bob worked his way up in the company over a 25 year period eventually becoming an executive, a mentor to many and a part owner of the company. Along the way, he even managed to befriend Governor Mike Dukakis after meeting at industry event. Even after retiring, Bob continued working until his dying day—between cold calling electrical distributors to join a buying group that he worked for and selling cruises as part of his own travel business!
When he wasn’t working, Bob had a number of hobbies. He loved to cook and was a “foodie” in general. Bob was an avid Boston sports fan that took his kids Robbie and Rebecca to many iconic Celtics and Red Sox games that included the Celtics-Pistons series in the 80’s, the famous Carlton Fisk 1975 World Series game, the 1986 World Series against the Mets and more recently the 2012 World Series against the Cardinals.
But above all, if there was one hobby that defined Bob as a person it was “Ham”/Amateur Radio. As he considered different living arrangements over the last few years, one of his first concerns was always whether he would have the ability to put an antenna up. To the outsider this could seem like a selfish preoccupation with the technicalities of his hobby. But, in truth, Bob’s antenna was a manifestation of his love for connecting with people from all over the world regardless of background or geography. He also took pride in using his hobby to do good and was featured on Boston news stations for helping to pull together “phone patches” that were critical for communications during national disasters when standard land lines were down.
Bob’s strong personality could be overwhelming for those that didn’t know him well. And yet, those who stuck it out and gave Bob a chance were lucky to have had a son, a father, a grandfather, a brother-in-law, father-in-law, an uncle and a friend that would do everything and anything for those that he held close. In a certain sense, he truly believed that everyone was his best friend.
Bob is survived by his wife, Mary of 56 years who he loved dearly and took wonderful care of, his daughter Rebecca and son-in-law Matthew Weiss of Sharon, son Robbie and daughter-in-law Lea of Monsey, NY, his grandkids and great grandkids and his dog Roxie who he adored.
Chapel service at Sharon Memorial Park on Monday, August 5, 2024 at 10:00am. Shiva to follow at the Four Points Sheraton, 1125 Boston Providence Turnpike, Norwood, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the National Kidney Foundation 30 East 33rd St. New York, NY 10016.