David Alan Snyder

08/18/1950 - 01/06/2026

David Alan Snyder, a lifelong resident of Ann Arbor, MI, was born on August 18, 1950. He died peacefully in his sleep at home on January 6, 2026, of heart disease. When he was just 32 years old he was diagnosed with a growth on his heart valve that was so rare it was mentioned in a medical journal. He survived several heart procedures during the years and died at age 75.
Dave graduated from Ann Arbor High School and attended Washtenaw Community College where he studied drafting, architecture, and home-building, interests that he shared with his maternal grandfather. When he was 22, Dave bought his home and, with his father and brother, repaired and remodeled it.
Always a hard worker, Dave rarely took vacation time and was well liked by customers and fellow workers for his helpfulness and sense of humor. When he did take a vacation, it always included a busman's holiday. As a kid, Dave shared a paper route with his brother and later began working in grocery stores. He did various jobs including shelf stocker, cashier, beverage manager, and scan coordinator. Dave started his career as a teenager at Food & Drug Mart (at the corner of Packard and Stadium) and later worked at various Ann Arbor Kroger locations, retiring in 2014.
Dave was friendly with everyone he met; customers on the paper route, fellow campers on family trips, neighbors, and his many co-workers who called him "Stan."
He loved animals and, at one point in his teens, housed approximately 20 guinea pigs in the family living and dining rooms. Dave later joked that he never could tell males from females, which led to the guineas quickly multiplying. He always had a dog or two and enjoyed having a large yard where they could run and he gardened.
Dave bowled from a young age and into adulthood until health issues made bowling less enjoyable. He and his brother were well known at Colonial Lanes and Dino's Pin Room. Dave's memory was sharp until the end of life. He was able to relate a frame-by-frame retelling of tournaments he and his brother played together more than 50 years earlier, and recalled times they or opponents were thwarted by a 7-10 or other splits.
Dave had an avid interest in coins that began during his paper route days. He loved to read about coins and paper currency even when his eyesight was failing. He was good with numbers, dates in history, and retained knowledge of ever elusive rare coins. He saved most of his loose change throughout his life. It seems serendipitous that one of his great loves, the US penny, would cease to exist the same year that he left us.
After retiring, Dave enjoyed watching his four grandchildren grow while they lived with him along with his son Rob and Kendahl. He frequently talked to his surviving sisters by phone, always ending with, "Love you, Sis."
He is survived by his sisters Beverly Parker, Donna (Peter) Griffard, son Robert Snyder (Kendahl Fritts), grandchildren Theidotis Jones (Rishyia Hass), Christian, Jason and Mackenzie Snyder and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents George and Dorothy, brother Dennis, and sister Nancy whom he frequently referred to as the other pea in his pod.
Dave's wish was for a simple graveside service for immediate family, which will be held in spring at Forest Hills Cemetery. Donations may be made to Alzheimer's Association, Michigan Great Lakes Chapter, 564 South Main St #200, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 or Humane Society of Huron Valley, 3100 Cherry Hill Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48105.
The family thanks Arbor Hospice who helped tend to Dave before his death.