Leo Harold Snyder

1934 - 2022

Snyder

Leo Harold Snyder (Age 87) Captain

Captain Leo H. Snyder, USPHS (Ret.) September 9, 1934-August 6, 2022 Leo Harold Snyder of Rockville, Maryland, passed away on Saturday, August 6, 2022, after a brief illness. Born on September 9, 1934, in Forestville, PA, he is the son of the late C. Monroe and Mary Jamison Snyder. Leo graduated in May of 1952 from Grove City Joint Consolidated High School. He enlisted in the United States Navy in September of 1953, aged 19. In August of 1957, after serving honorably for four years, he was released from active duty and served in the Reserves, first as an enlisted seaman and in 1965 he was commissioned as an Ensign. In 1961, he graduated from Slippery Rock State Teachers College with a Bachelor's Degree of Science in biological and social sciences. In June of 1963, Leo was awarded a Public Health Service Traineeship at the University of Michigan and enrolled as a candidate for the Masters of Public Health. Leo graduated in May 1964 with a Masters of Public Health and Advance Training in Institutional / Environmental Health. In 1965, Leo was commissioned in the United States Naval Reserve as an Ensign assigned to the Medical Service Corp. and served until December 1967. During this time, Leo was employed by the Pennsylvania and New York State Health Departments and was also an Assistant Professor of Community Health, New York State University, Brockport, New York. In 1967, Leo resigned from the United States Naval Reserves after receiving an appointment in the United States Public Health Service. Leo served as a commissioned officer from February 1968, until he retired as a Captain, in June of 1992. Over the span of his career, he served in a wide variety of assignments and locations, to include Navajo Reservations in Arizona and New Mexico and played key roles in two major activities of national impact. During the Three Mile Island nuclear crisis, near Harrisburg, PA, he participated as an environmental health expert in organizing a plan to provide USPHS emergency medical teams to the disaster site. He also served as the USPHS coordinator for the Cuban refugee program for all the refugee camp sites. In addition, Leo received personal recognition from C. Everett Coop for being instrumental in his being appointed to a second term as US Surgeon General. In retirement, Leo remained active by assisting with the Saint Martin's Parish food pantry and the Knights of Columbus. Throughout the course of his life, he was an avid outdoorsman. He especially enjoyed hunting and fishing. He was a loving husband, devoted father, grandfather, and great grandfather.He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Loretta; daughter Gretchen Rimkus (Mark); brother Paul Snyder of Zephyr Hills, Florida; grandsons Zachary and Alex (Amalia); and great granddaughter Ahleiana Rose Rimkus; many nieces and nephews; and godfather to Gordon and Greg Snyder of Florida. He is preceded in death by his son Joseph Monroe Snyder. Visitation will be on Thursday, August 11, 2022 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at De Vol Funeral Home, 10 E. Deer Park Dr., Gaithersburg, MD 20877. A Mass of Christian Burial will held on Friday, August 12, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. at Saint Martin of Tours Catholic Church, 201 S Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg, MD 20877. The family will receive guests for a meal at Knights of Columbus Council #2323, 17001 Overhill Road, Derwood, MD 20855 immediately after the Mass. Interment at Arlington National Cemetery will be at a later date. Please sign the family guestbook at:

www.devolfuneralhome.com