William Ray (Bill) Snyder

William Ray (Bill) Snyder, 80, passed away October 4, 2015, at his home in Tallahassee surrounded by his family. He was born in Waco, Texas, to William Lowell and Fannie McMath Snyder, both of whom preceded him in death along with his two sisters, Wilma Snyder and Virginia Snyder O’Dell, and brother, Robert Lowell Snyder. Bill earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas and his Masters and Doctorate degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana. He spent a year at Harvard before heading to Tallahassee in 1966 to join the FSU faculty. He served in three departments over his 37 years as a professor and retired from the College of Education in 2003. Bill’s love and passion for learning and his many varied interests served him well both professionally and personally. He served as a trainer of several programs dealing with leadership, visioning, school improvement, and assessment. Bill also worked outside university settings conducting many workshops for private sector businesses and nonprofits throughout the southern United States. He was the President of Educational Services Consortium, Inc., a nonprofit organization that he and three colleagues started in the early 1970’s to support a variety of educational projects. Developing tools to help schools assess and improve performance by creating a healthy school culture was his focus the last 20 years. An avid reader, Bill immersed himself in non-fiction literature that lifted and challenged the spirit and generated self-reflective growth that made him a natural leader and captivating conversationalist. His children’s friends spent many hours chatting with him over the kitchen table, actively engaged with him in thought-provoking debates and discussions. He could never resist finding new interests to expand his horizons. When one of his sons began taking Taekwondo, Bill did as well, and earned the title of World Champion in his age category one year. An active outdoorsman, Bill enjoyed hunting with his sons and friends over the years. His greatest outdoor love though was duck hunting, which led to an avid enthusiasm for carving wooden ducks. His creations awed his friends and family and they felt blessed when he hand delivered one of his pieces into their hands. An elder in the church, Bill loved to serve and did so in many capacities over the years. During his retirement, Bill volunteered at the University Presbyterian Center and shared his faith and experiences with many young people. Those left behind to cherish his legacy are his wife of 39 years, Kathryn Cash Snyder; sons: Clifford Snyder and wife, Rita, of Georgetown, Texas, Erik Snyder and wife, Krista, of Tallahassee, and William Snyder of Austin, Texas; daughters: McKay Pittman and husband, Joey, of Chicago, Illinois, and Sarah Keefer and husband, Josh, of Bellevue, Washington; grandchildren: Ashlin Snyder of Austin, Texas, Tristan Snyder of Lubbock, Texas, Quinton Snyder and wife, Beth, of Tallahassee, Beckett Pittman and Emerson Pittman of Chicago, Illinois, and newborn Hazel Keefer of Bellevue, Washington; great-grandchild: Keith Snyder of Tallahassee; brother-in-law Paul O’Dell, and many nephews and nieces. A celebration service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church of Tallahassee at 11:00 am on Saturday, October 24, 2015. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Endowment Fund of First Presbyterian Church, 110 N. Adams St., Tallahassee, FL 32301 or Big Bend Hospice, 1723 Mahan Center Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32308. Todd Wahlquist with Bevis Funeral Home is assisting the family with their arrangements. 850-385-2193, www.bevisfh.com

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William Ray (Bill) Snyder

January 5, 1935 - October 4, 2015