John F. (Jack) Snyder, Jr.
John F. Snyder, Jr, (Jack) passed away in Santa Barbara CA on September 20, 2020. He was 87 years old. Born July 26, 1933, to John F. and Thelma (Davis) Snyder in Kansas City, Mo, he grew up and graduated there from Paseo High School. He earned a BS degree from General Motors Institute of Technology (now Kettering University) in 1955 and later a Master’s degree in Engineering Management from Northeastern University, Boston. MA. After brief stints at General Motors and TWA in Kansas City, he joined General Dynamics Astronautics developing Atlas missal bases in Wyoming, Kansas and New York. At the end of that program he joined Sylvania Systems and then Polaroid in the Boston area. While there he was a part of the Annual Meeting crew, where he obtained 40 theater backdrops for performers so shareholders could experience. the wonders of instant movies. In 1980 he left the snow of New England to become Facilities Manager at Raytheon in balmy Santa Barbara where he retired 13 years later. Among his accomplishments was the construction of four buildings in a no-growth atmosphere.
He raised his family in Sudbury, MA, where he was an enthusiastic member of the Charles River Radio Controllers, flying award winning gliders. In a completely different arena, he garnered a Best Set Designer trophy for the Sudbury Players at the New England Theater Conference. As a member of the Sudbury Minuteman Militia and Company, he crossed the North Bridge in Concord, MA on Patriot’s Day in the Bicentennial year on April 19, 1976 reenacting “the shot heard ‘round the world”.
Joys in his Santa Barbara years included the Jaguar Club of Santa Barbara, where for many years he served as the club’s newsletter editor. He was a founding member of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum where, in its early days, he published its newsletter.
In his retirement years he acted as Business Manager for Prosperity Press, a publisher of career educations. He enjoyed road trips and crossed the U.S. three times, including rediscovering Historic Route 66. He also enjoyed travelling abroad, especially driving through Spain and Italy.
Closer to home he was an enthusiastic member of Wine Tasters in the Woods. He was especially proud of his several terms on the Santa Barbara County Civil Grand Jury, where he held a number of leadership positions.
He leaves his wife of 65 years Lorelei (Johnston), three children, Andrew (Phyllis) of Haverhill, MA., Robert of Concord, NH., and Sara of Ventura, CA., six grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
No services are planned at this time. Gifts in his memory may be made to the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, 113 Harbor Way, Suite 190, Santa Barbara, CA 93109.