William Abram Snyder

William Abram Snyder, of Graham, North Carolina, died at the Duke University Medical Center on January 1, 2021, from complications of the coronavirus.  He was surrounded by loving family, in person and virtually, and died peacefully.

Bill was born on January 10, 1935 to Abram and Ruby Snyder near Ford City, PA.  He attended  Ford City High School, served in the US Air Force and worked for a time in the California aerospace industry and as a milk-man.  He graduated from San Fernando Valley State College with a degree in social psychology.  In California he helped develop and directed various drug and alcohol addiction programs.  In California and Pennsylvania he worked with troubled and institutionalized youth.  He helped develop award-winning programs for incarcerated youth sex offenders who had themselves been sexually abused. After retirement, he met and married the love of his life, Monti Snyder.  Together, they traveled, gardened, and made beautiful crafts that combined his stained-glass art with her dried flowers.  They also participated generously in a program to mail cookies to deployed troops from the Scotts, MI area for several years when they lived there. He really enjoyed serving as a substitute teacher in the Scotts school system. Most of all, Bill and Monti delighted in spending time together. He was a devoted father, grandfather and great-grandfather.

Bill had a deep and passionate commitment to inclusiveness, and believed that all people deserved respect and compassion.  He expressed this in his work and in his life, and was never afraid to say the unpopular thing when popular belief supported exclusion.

In addition to his parents, Bill was preceded in death by two sons, Dale and John.  He is survived by his loving wife Monti; two brothers, Glenn Snyder (Sarah) of Springfield, MO and George Snyder (Judy) of Ford City, PA; a son, David Snyder (Susan Stout) of Warren, PA; a step-daughter, Katie Forman (Meredith) of Mebane, NC; two step-sons, Joe Forman (Mohd) of Signal Hill, CA and Jon Forman (Erica) of Haw River ,NC; “adopted daughter” Maria Pritchard (Bob) Mars, NC; four grandchildren, Ben Snyder (Rebecca) of Falls Church, VA; Crystal Rinaldi (Scott) of Huntington Beach, CA; Luke and Landry Forman of Mebane, NC; and one great-grandson, Nathan Snyder of Falls Church, VA.

A celebration of life service will be announced at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC or a charity of choice.

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