Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 52 years, Charlene (Kaiser) Snyder of St James, NC, sons Paul C. Snyder of Southport, and Gavin Snyder and his wife, Erin, of Raleigh, NC. Paul will be missed by his beloved granddaughter, Paige Snyder and her stepbrothers, Blaine and Bryce Jensen. His surviving siblings, Barbara (Snyder) Kreider and Earl Snyder (PA) are comforted by their shared childhood memories. Paul’s parents, Paul and Verna (Bixler) Snyder, and brothers Terrence and Donald Snyder predeceased him.
Born on May 5, 1945 in rural Jonestown, Pennsylvania, Paul was one of five children. Early on, he established his niche as a stand-out athlete fueled by his skill, tenacity and strong competitive streak. He was a top soccer player for Northern Lebanon High School and then at East Stroudsburg State College (Pa). His prowess on the soccer field was recognized in 2005 as he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame of East Stroudsburg University.
Paul was truly a life-long learner. After obtaining his BS degree at Stroudsburg in 1968, he went on the earn a Master’s degree from Morgan University. He completed an additional degree from Towson University. After being awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, he enriched his studies in India where he had the opportunity to dine with Indira Ghandi.
He began his career in Maryland teaching World History and coaching boys’ soccer. He couldn’t help but notice the new, whip-smart English teacher, Charlene Kaiser. He married her in 1970 and from that day forward called her “his Queen”.
His career spanned 38 years, teaching World History in Bel Air High School (Bel Air, MD), C. Milton Wright High School (Bel Air, MD) and Hoggard High School (Wilmington, NC). He coached boys’ soccer and girls’ lacrosse; his teams earned multiple regional and state championship opportunities. After collectively accumulating over 66 years of teaching, Paul and Charlene moved to St James in North Carolina in 2002. Paul took full advantage of his “free time” playing golf, tennis, pickleball and was actively involved in many community projects. As a parishioner of Sacred Heart Catholic Church (Southport NC), Paul was an usher for Sunday Masses and an altar server. He joined the Knights of Columbus and his favorite activity with the Knights was making pancakes at their pancake breakfasts.
Paul was generous with his time and talent, always willing to help anyone with home improvement projects, repairs and gardening challenges. A friend observed that, “Paul was as handy as a pocket on a shirt”. Paul enjoyed baking desserts and would often make a “welcome” cake for new neighbors. He was an avid reader and enjoyed playing his favorite card game “cinch” with friends and family.
A funeral mass will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Southport on Tuesday, January 31 at 11:00 AM.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to SECU Hospice House of Brunswick.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.peacocknewnamwhite.com for the Snyder family.
Peacock - Newnam & White Funeral and Cremation Service, Southport, North Carolina.
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