Dennis Eugene Snell

A Memorial Celebration of Life will be held at noon on Wednesday, November 13, at Oakland Christian Church, 2929 Oakland Church Rd, Columbia, Missouri.

Dennis was born on February 2, 1947, in Columbia, the only child of Lorraine Bryant Snell and Homer Snell, who both preceded him in passing.

He graduated from Hickman High School in 1965, and spent a few years as a student at MU, studying electrical engineering, computer science, and philosophy – which became his lifelong study. Over the years, he read everything from Socrates to Persian poet Rumi to Chinese Taoist Lao Tsu. He worked in computer programming and electronics repairs, and loved working in libraries. His inquisitive nature led him to both the East and West Coasts, before he returned to Columbia in the 1980s to live the remainder of his life. He had a generous spirit and insightful mind, and was always writing prose and poems as gifts to friends and family on special occasions.

In 1995, Dennis married Tomi Greentree, a longtime friend and college sweetheart at MU in the 1960s. They lived in Columbia, and for years, they traveled around the country – along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, through the Southwest to the West Coast, camping in National Parks and poring over local histories. Though the marriage ended in 2011, they remained lifelong friends. Tomi came back to Columbia to care for him during his last days until his death.

When he was diagnosed with terminal cancer in September, he took it very philosophically, and remained cheerful and upbeat during hospitalization and radiation treatment. Dennis is survived by loving cousins who enjoy remembering and repeating stories about growing up together.

The family offers special thanks to cousins Rex Ausburn and Randy Bryant for their attention and care in Dennis’s final months, and to Tomi Greentree, who cared for him during his final days.