Todd Joseph Snyder

1963 - 2016

(News story) Todd Joseph Snyder, who began his career at Toledo Edison as a mechanic and ended as one of the company's two operations directors, died Thursday at Hospice of Northwest Ohio, Perrysburg. He was 52.

He died of a glioblastoma brain tumor, which doctors discovered after Mr. Snyder had a grand mal seizure May 8.

"I would have never even known the word [glioblastoma] before and now we'll never forget it," said his son, Todd Snyder Jr.

For the past 31 years, Mr. Snyder was employed at Toledo Edison. In 1985, he worked as a journeyman electrical mechanic, moving to system dispatcher, then substation supervisor, then up to substation department manager in 2005. In 2008, he was named operations director, landing the highest position below president.

"He really gave his all to the company, and the company to him really meant the people who he had worked with side by side for three decades," said Richard Sweeney, president of Toledo Edison. "He had an incredible work ethic and was always quick with a smile."

As operations director, Mr. Snyder oversaw substation, meter services reading, fleets and facilities, and environmental departments. He and Mr. Sweeney discussed finances, strategized the new employee program, and oversaw power outages during storms together.

"No matter what the issue was, he was always, always calm," Mr. Sweeney said. "He was committed to getting the job done the right way, and the right way for him was safely and thinking about the workers."

Mr. Snyder earned a business degree from Owens Community College to improve his skill set, his son said.

"It meant a lot to him to be teaching people in order to better themselves and reach their potential," he said.

He not only taught his employees, but his family. He was the "go-to guy" for handyman jobs, Todd Jr. said. In his family's houses, he can point out multiple jobs his father did.

"Whether it's an electrical, if they wanted to run new lighting, it wasn't about just getting it done, it was teaching them about it, passing along his experiences," he said. "It was always being with that family as much as fixing that light."

Though work was his "second home," Mr. Snyder also loved being home with his family, many times over a Michigan football game.

"Every weekend it was getting together over a pot of his famous chili or his famous ribs," his son said.

Mr. Snyder was born Sept. 13, 1963, to Norman and Virginia Snyder in Toledo. He graduated from Start High School, and in 1983 married Susan Martin at St. Catherine of Siena. They lived in Perrysburg before recently moving to Lambertville.

A Mud Hens fan, he "took pride in the city," his son said.

Mr. Snyder invested in real estate, and owned two dry cleaners in Lambertville. "He saw it as an opportunity here in the community," his son said.

Through Toledo Edison, but also personally, Mr. Snyder was active in both United Way and Harvest for Hunger, Mr. Sweeney said.

"He always puts other people first," he said. "We don't always see that anymore, but he was that guy."

Mr. Snyder is survived by his mother, Virginia; wife, Susan; siblings, Mark Snyder, Wendy Nowotka, Shelly Betz, and Scott Snyder; children, Julia Cornett, Todd Snyder Jr., and Sarah Snyder; and four grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. today at Urbanski's Bedford Funeral Chapel, Temperance, where another visitation will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday. A funeral Mass will follow at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Our Lady of Carmel Catholic Church, Temperance.

The family requests donations to Defeat GBM, a branch of the National Brain Tumor Society.

This is a news story written by Blade staff writer Janet Stengle. Contact her at: jstengle@theblade.com, 419-724-6194, or on Twitter @janetstengle.