Vacations were a rare and sometimes tense occasion for the family of William Snyder Jr., who ran the family's century-old funeral business in Irwin.
"It would be the night before vacation and we would all be saying a little prayer that we didn't get busy so that Dad could go on vacation with us," recalled his daughter, Cynthia Snyder of Irwin.
William N. Snyder Jr. of North Huntingdon died of congestive heart failure on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, in his home. He was 87.
He was born May 3, 1924, in Irwin to Louella M. (Beck) and William N. Snyder Sr. After graduating from Castle Heights Military Academy in 1943, he was drafted. He spent 14 months in the Army Air Force as an airplane mechanic in the Pacific theater during World War II.
In 1949, he graduated from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science and began a 62-year career of owning and operating a funeral home. He worked with his father and grandfather, J. William Snyder, in William Snyder Funeral Home, founded by his grandfather's uncle in 1869.
"He felt not only a responsibility to the families he served, but also to his heritage and the things that were passed on to him," said his son, Bill Snyder of Irwin, who carries on the family's business. "It was very important that it be maintained and that families be served with dignity and compassion."
Mr. Snyder and his wife, Elizabeth, were married more than 65 years. They enjoyed playing bridge, going to dinner with friends and attending concerts of the Pittsburgh Symphony Pops series.
He was the oldest living past commander of the J. Howard Snyder VFW Post 781 and a life member of S. James Keister American Legion Post 359. In the early 1970s, he formed the Wednesday Men's Prayer Fellowship, which continues today.
The household's eight children quieted when the business phone line for the funeral home rang. Their father instilled a strong sense of discipline and appropriate behavior in them.
Mr. Snyder's son, Tom, recalled leaving his wallet on a seat in the family car with the windows rolled down when a teenager. That evening, his father asked him to come to the funeral home for a talk.
"He had the wallet," said Snyder, of North Huntingdon. "He was right. It was a lesson learned, and that's how he would teach you."
In addition to his wife, Elizabeth, and his children, Bill, Cynthia and Tom, Mr. Snyder is survived by daughters Kathleen A. Paskus, Melissa J. Smith and Ellen C. Morrison, all of Irwin, Suzanne E. Paul of East McKeesport and Holly J. Snyder of West Newton; 12 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and a great, great-granddaughter.
Visitation is from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. today in William Snyder Funeral Home, 521 Main St., Irwin. VFW Post 781 and American Legion Post 359 will hold services at 7:30 p.m. today in the funeral home.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday in First Presbyterian Church, with the Rev. Ronald H. Wakeman officiating. Burial follows in Brush Creek Cemetery.
