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Daniel Paul Snyder,
72, of Indianapolis, passed away July 24, 2022. He was born in Racine, Wisconsin on May 14, 1950 to the late William Francis and Annette Marie (Stilo) Snyder. Dan moved a lot as a child as a son of an Air Force pilot and Army nurse, and would often tell stories about the shenanigans he would get into all over the country. Dan married his true love Carol Frances (Stephenson) on June 11, 1977 and they just celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. Dan spent almost 35 years of his career working in technology for an insurance company, but truly enjoyed flexing his mechanical muscles by wrench turning at Road Tested Saabs.
Dan graduated from Plainfield High School in 1968 and attended Lear Siegler Institute, where he was introduced to and excelled at computer programming. It was at this time he first felt the pull of true love after meeting Carol. Who knew computer programming was so romantic?
Dan was a charter member of One Fellowship Church in Indianapolis, IN. He was there as many Sundays as possible for set-up and teardown, security, traffic flow supervision, and greeting members, regular attendees, and first-time guests with a big smile and wave. He shared his love for Jesus with every person he came in contact with and truly loved filling his role as part of the body of Christ. Prior to One Fellowship, Dan was a member at College Park Church in Indianapolis.
Dan was a long-time member of the Pike Township Lions Club, serving in various community outreach events including vision screenings at elementary schools, directing traffic for the attendees of the greatest spectacle in racing, and exercising his culinary skills for their pancake breakfast. He was also more than happy to hop behind the wheel of one of the Saabs he owned at the time to deliver flowers as part of their annual flower sale. Dan was recognized for his exemplary service to the club and community as the W.P. Woods Fellow.
Dan’s passion of working on cars wasn’t exclusive to Saabs. He was a lifelong gearhead and was always happy to volunteer his mechanical expertise to help a family member, neighbor, or friend (because he never met a stranger) with some advice or pointers he’d picked up over the years.
Dan is survived by his wife; sons, Lucas Anthony and Corey Daniel (Amy); grandchildren, Isabella Louise, Parker Daniel, and Lily Anne Esme Snyder; and sister, Carol Anne (Larry) Thomas-Findlay.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, William Francis, Jr. and Larry Alan; and grandson, Jackson Wyatt Snyder.
Visitation will be held at College Park Church, 2606 West 96th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46268 on Saturday, July 30th from 10am-noon, with a memorial service immediately following.
As much as Dan enjoyed flowers (especially his night blooming cereus), please consider making a donation in his memory to the Pike Township Lions Club (mail checks to Ed Harper, 7775 Melbourne Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46268) or his beloved church family, One Fellowship Church (https://www.aplos.com/aws/give/OFC/). Donations can also be made in person during visitation.
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Carol Wendt
I will miss my Simmons Street friend and neighbor. May you sleep in heavenly peace.
Linda Hayden (Shockley)
A life well-lived, a marriage of 45 yrs, a loving father, and dedicated career. I am proud to be your classmate. You will be missed.
Loretta Burgess (Thompson)
Prayers and comfort to Dans family.David Petty
What an amazing man. I am so happy to have known you. You really enriched the lives of those around you.
Bob Cushman
Dan SnyderMy name is Bob Cushman and Dan Snyder is our friend.
I don’t remember the first time that I met Dan Snyder exactly but it was about half way thru high school, probably 1965. I remember sharing a passion for cars with Dan. I had a 56 Chevy and he had a Morris Minor and a 55 Chevy. I remember Dan’s passion for speed as we took turns racing from Plainfield to Mooresville on the old 267. We called that stretch of road “The Pike”. The challenge was to race the 7 mile course in 5 minutes or less. Obviously that required speeds well in excess of 70 MPH and there was one short hill that you might just get air-born if your speed was high and your suspension was stiff. I am amazed that we never got any speeding tickets on that section of road.
Dumb luck I guess.
I remember Dan’s passion for acceleration. That led to lots of equipment failures. Failed transmissions, failed rear axle differentials, failed clutch plates, excessive tire wear and excessive brake wear. One of Dan’s more memorable practice was testing tires and clutches on a street near the old Van Buren Grade School called St Luke Drive. This street had a fairly steep hill. Dan would drive up the hill and stop his 55 Chevy at the crest of the hill. He would depress the clutch and select first gear, he would then release the brakes and allow the car to coast backwards. When the car approached the bottom of the hill he would rev the engine and pop the clutch. Imagine the car still moving backwards while the rear tires were rotating forward trying to climb the hill. Imagine the stench of burning rubber mixing with the pungent smell of a burning clutch plate while Dan grinned with that mischievous smile of his as he struggled to keep the car from sliding off the road. Yup That was Dan!
Dan Snyder IS our friend.
I always thought that Dan had a secret contract with the car companies to show them their “weakest link”. The silver lining of this proclivity for destruction led to developing his secondary, life long passion of fixing cars and other mechanical things. This passion of working on cars led to Dan becoming one of the best Saab mechanics in Indiana !
Dan taught me how to repair manual transmissions, install clutch plates, repair and replace differential spider gears and other car repairs far too numerous to mention. I worked with him repairing his cars and he , in turn, helped me repair my car when I had failures. I remember Dan teaching me the art of laying on a concrete floor while we rested a manual transmission on our chest in order to install it.
Grease on our hands, grease on our faces and sweat on our brows while enjoying the cool of the concrete on our backs. Those were the good old days!
Dan Snyder IS our friend.
Having known Dan Snyder for over 50 years I can attest to him having a big heart, being kind and being quick to forgive others. I think that being a middle child with an older brother and a younger sister taught Dan how to be a peace maker. I remember many times when I expressed my anger or frustration at others, Dan counseled me to forgive and take a less adamant stand, as I am prone to do.
Dan Snyder made me a better person.
I am confidant anyone that knew Dan will tell you that Dan made them a better person, as well.
That is why I use the present tense not the past tense when I say;
Dan Snyder IS our friend.
As long as we remember Dan and maintain the better person that Dan taught us to be, Dan is with us.
Rachel Maxwell (Johnson)
Dan, we could always count on your smiles, sincere greetings and lively conversations! Prayers continue for your family as they grieve. We will all miss you. May you rest in God's peace after a life well-lived here on earth.
Diane Davis (Sharpes)
A life well lived; a friend fondly remembered. Praying the family will be sustained by wonderful memories of Dan.
Willis Taylor (E)
Rest in Peace Dan, the world will be less bright in your absence.Frank Litherland
On July 24, 2022 Dan Snyder passed. I know Dan is in a better place, free from the pain and indignities that come when battling cancer. That said, “I miss him”!
I was 14 when I met Dan on the shuttle bus from the High School to the Jr. High for Mrs. Newlin’s Latin Class. As the friendship grew Dan and I soon were locked in competition on the local hobby shop’s slot car track. Slot cars soon became the real thing. We were proficient in changing the transmission in Dan’s Morris Minor (I think the record was less than an hour from the time we pushed it in the garage until we backed it out). He knew where the parts cars were in Indiana and surrounding states.
After graduation from Plainfield High School (Class of 68) started life’s journey in the IT field. Dan could program, modify (build) or troubleshoot computers with the same enthusiasm, to make it faster. Later in life our phone calls went from occasional to a couple times a week to almost daily. In 2015 I was in a low place with health issues and who was there to help me, Dan. Dan, Bob, Rob and I started meeting for a boys’ day out (ok eat, tell stories and laugh).
When Dan was diagnosed with Cancer he put on a brave face and went to battle with dignity and style. His love for life was immense. Through the surgery, chemo rounds and immunotherapy’s Dan still presented a brave face and positive attitude. I am lucky to visited Dan on July 8, 2022. I saw the twinkle in his eye and the Dan Snyder smile. While labored at times we had a meaningful conversation. As I hugged Dan to leave, he whispered “I love you brother” and the smile was still there.
While Dan loved his cars or beating a stubborn computer in to submission, he loved his family and Church more. If you wanted to see that wide smile grow all you had to do was ask him about his grandchildren.
I am an only child and Dan was my best friend and brother to me.
Rest in Peace Dan!
Bob Cushman
I will never forget the night in 1970 ,71, or so that Dan Snyder and I rode our motorcycles around the country around Plainfield and the west side of Indianapolis all night long. We even joined up with a group of riders in Indy for a while.When we noticed the cops were following this ad-hoc group we went out separate ways.
I had just finished the spring semester at Purdue and needed to unwind.
It was a memory that I never will forget!