Robert (Bob) Snyder, 82, passed away on Monday August 21, 2023 from Alzheimer’s disease. He was happy at home with his wife by his side and surrounded by family.
Bob was born July 24, 1941 in Carroll, Iowa. He graduated from Kuemper Catholic High School before attending business school in Council Bluffs. Bob worked in accounting throughout his entire life, from bookkeeping to running his own in-home tax service, Snyder Tax Service. Bob met Agatha (Aggie) Loew in 1955 after moving from Mount Carmel to Maple River when he was in the 8th grade. They were married on August 24, 1963 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Maple River, IA. They grew their family, having four boys who have since blessed them with 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Dad was the definition of Iowa nice. He took pleasure in helping his family, friends, neighbors and even strangers. He took pride in his work ethic and toughness, which he would say came from being a “farm boy”. Over the years, Dad held multiple part-time jobs to make sure his family was secure. One of his favorite “jobs” was helping greet the daycare children as they would arrive at the daycare Mom ran in their home. Although he would not admit it, he loved those daycare kids almost as much as Mom did! Dad enjoyed being a handyman and had a hard time throwing away anything that he thought he could fix or could be used to fix something else. He was a picker and rarely drove by something left on the curb, as what other people thought was trash became Dad’s next treasure. He enjoyed almost all sports and played many during his life. He was quick to play catch, toss a football or shoot hoops in the backyard. For many years, he organized and was the pitcher for his slow pitch softball team, the Demons, and looked forward to the weekly pick-up basketball games at Holy Trinity. Dad also got years of enjoyment out of coaching his children and grandchildren, whether officially or from the sidelines. He was extremely proud of all their accomplishments and had no problem sharing the joy he got from watching them. Dad spent many years volunteering to help with the Boy Scouts when his boys were involved. He was thrilled that his grandsons also became scouts, and it was a proud moment when two of them achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Dad had a quick wit and enjoyed sarcasm. He appreciated a good joke and would laugh no matter how many times the joke was told, especially the one about the night the cops were knocking on Roger’s door. He also liked to chase the grandkids down on their birthdays to give them the appropriate amount of “lickin’s”. Dad took satisfaction in having one of the best yards on the street. He had a passion for keeping his yard in pristine condition, which included picking up sticks, pulling dandelions, and trimming the grass by hand. In the winter, he was not happy until all the snow was removed from the drive and sidewalk. He was a fan of listening to the oldies – especially Elvis, crunching numbers at tax time, and watching the Yankees play. Dad was a man of faith. He had faith that others would do the right thing and had faith in God. But most of all, Dad was a family man. He loved mom, rarely being far from her side through 60 years of marriage, loved his four sons, and especially loved all his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Bob is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Aggie; his sons, Bob (Carol) Snyder of Crystal, MN, Roger (Nancy) Snyder of Urbandale, IA, Brian (Molly) Snyder of St. Paul, MN, and Tony (Bridgid) Snyder of Urbandale, IA; 12 grandchildren, Erica Snyder, Nick Snyder, Stanzy (Sergio) Alaniz, Monica (Drew) Hicks , Ben (Nina) Snyder, Becca Snyder, Jessica Snyder, Caleb Snyder, Noah Snyder, Eli Snyder, Jackson Snyder, Cora Snyder; three great-grandchildren, Ryan Titus, Ava Cummings, and Sicily Alaniz; his siblings, Jean Pawletzki, Diane (Cliff) Hoffman, Shirley Hansen, Sharon Wilson, Darrell (Meg) Snyder, Denise Neumann, Daniel Snyder, and a brother-in-law, Larry Boyce. He was preceded in death by his parents, Norbert and Dolores Snyder; a sister, Kay Boyce and a brother-in-law, Paul Pawletzki. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday August 25, 2023, at St. Augustin Catholic Church in Des Moines. Visitation will be held prior to mass beginning at 9:00 a.m. with the cremains present. Private interment will be at Glendale Cemetery following mass. The Rosary Society will provide a luncheon in the church hall shortly following the service.
Please go here to view a live stream of the Mass of Christian Burial, following the live stream the link will remain active as a recording. https://player.vimeo.com/video/857245819
Memorial contributions may be directed to St. Augustin Catholic Church, Alzheimer’s Association or National Kidney Foundation in memory of Bob.
