Biloxi Community Remembers Donal Snyder
The community remembers Donal Snyder, a beloved coach, athlete, and children’s advocate, who has passed away at the age of 93.
The man who always wore a smile, those who knew Donal Snyder remember him as just a joy to be around.
Director of the Biloxi Parks and Recreation Department Cheryl Bell said, “He was just a kind man who loved life. And when I say loved life, he loved life to the fullest.”
Snyder was a long time recreation director for the city of Biloxi, serving from 1956 to 1974. His retirement left him no stranger to the department he loved so much. In 2001, the Donal Snyder Community Center on Pass Road was named in his honor and continues to be a place where everyone can go to stay active. “He just came up to me one day, I just can’t remember where we were, it was at a ball park or something, and he was there with his grandkids. And he just said, ‘you work for the parks and rec’ and I said ‘yes, I do’. He said, ‘remember, it’s all about the kids,’” recalls Bell.
An avid athlete himself, Snyder competed in track all the way through his senior years, bringing home a gold medal in the National Senior Olympics in 2013. A storyteller as well, Snyder loved sharing his memories of all the medals that line the case in the lobby of the Donal Snyder Community Center.
James Payton, recreation manager at the Donal Snyder Community Center, said, “Every time he came into the facility, this trophy case here, he loved it. He would come over here and just admire it and reminisce and tell me about the medals he had gotten.”
And while this case shows all of Mr. Snyder’s accomplishments, the community will remember him most as the man with a big heart and love of children. “You know, if I can take anything away from him, it’s about the kids, which has always been my motto and to take a challenge and go with it,” said Bell.
The man who always wore a smile, those who knew Donal Snyder remember him as just a joy to be around.
Director of the Biloxi Parks and Recreation Department Cheryl Bell said, “He was just a kind man who loved life. And when I say loved life, he loved life to the fullest.”
Snyder was a long time recreation director for the city of Biloxi, serving from 1956 to 1974. His retirement left him no stranger to the department he loved so much. In 2001, the Donal Snyder Community Center on Pass Road was named in his honor and continues to be a place where everyone can go to stay active. “He just came up to me one day, I just can’t remember where we were, it was at a ball park or something, and he was there with his grandkids. And he just said, ‘you work for the parks and rec’ and I said ‘yes, I do’. He said, ‘remember, it’s all about the kids,’” recalls Bell.
An avid athlete himself, Snyder competed in track all the way through his senior years, bringing home a gold medal in the National Senior Olympics in 2013. A storyteller as well, Snyder loved sharing his memories of all the medals that line the case in the lobby of the Donal Snyder Community Center.
James Payton, recreation manager at the Donal Snyder Community Center, said, “Every time he came into the facility, this trophy case here, he loved it. He would come over here and just admire it and reminisce and tell me about the medals he had gotten.”
And while this case shows all of Mr. Snyder’s accomplishments, the community will remember him most as the man with a big heart and love of children. “You know, if I can take anything away from him, it’s about the kids, which has always been my motto and to take a challenge and go with it,” said Bell.
Leave a Reply