Richard (Dick) Eugene Snyder of Dixon, Illinois joined the Lord on February 22, 2024.
Dick was born in Dixon on June 16, 1935 to Marian (Adams) and Henry Oscar Snyder, their only child. He grew up in Dixon and Rockford, graduating from Lincoln Grade School and Dixon High School (Class of 1954).
He worked at Campbell Motors, the Dixon Studebaker dealer, during his high school years. It was here that his passion for the Studebaker automobiles of the 1950s began. Between 1986 and 2020, he restored a total of six vintage Studebakers, all of which took Best of Division honors at International Studebaker car shows, and one (a 1949 Champion Convertible) took Best of Show honors!
Dick attended Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, Illinois) and Sauk Valley Community College. He studied percussion at the Roy Knapp School of Percussion (Chicago) and under John Noonan (Bloomington) before auditioning for and enlisting into the Fifth Army Band at their headquarters in Fort Sheridan, Illinois. He served in the Army from 1955 to 1958. He further studied percussion at the Army-Navy School of Music in Anacostia, Virginia in 1956.
In 1956, Dick married Helen Muhleback, his high school sweetheart. They were married for more than 67 years!
After returning to Dixon in 1958, he worked for Lawton’s Dairy and Dixon Oil Company before he and Helen established Snyder Heating and Cooling, Inc. in 1979, a company that they successfully operated until Dick retired in 1997.
Throughout it all, music continued to be a big part of Dick’s life. He was a member of the Dixon Municipal Band for 30 years, performing in hundreds of concerts at the Dixon Band Shell and in Lowell Park, and marching in numerous parades. He also played in several dance bands, including his own band, the Premiere Trio, which performed at hundreds of weddings, country club events, and other events throughout northern Illinois. He served as the Secretary-Treasurer of the Musician’s Union (Local 525, Dixon) for 15 years, a role in which he promoted live music throughout the area, including union-sponsored free concerts by local musicians in John Dixon Park and other locations.
Dick was a member of St. Patrick’s and St. Anne’s Churches in Dixon. He was also a member of the Dixon Noon Lions Club. He will be remembered as a loving husband and father, a talented musician, a hard-working craftsman, and a great listener who gave you his full attention and sincere interest, no matter what else was going on.
Dick is survived by his wife, Helen, and his five children: Mark (and Julie) Snyder of Bridgeville, PA; Kathryn (and Wolfgang) Schmidt of Morrison, Illinois; Peri Ann (and Greg) Query of Estes Park, CO; Scott (and Daria) Snyder of Highlands Ranch, CO; and Peggy Sue (and Timothy) Casey of Westmont, IL. He is also missed by his grandchildren: Daniel, Anne, Megan and Caitlin Snyder; Karl (and Lauren), Erich, and Kurt Schmidt; Jamie and Mark Query; McKenna Russen; and Michael, Benjamin, Allison, Jennifer, and Shannon Casey.
Visitation will be held on Thursday February 29 from 9:30 AM to 10:45 AM at St. Patrick’s Church, and will be immediately followed by funeral services at 11:00 AM. Military Honors will follow the service at church. Burial at Oakwood Cemetery will take place at a later date, following cremation. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Jones Funeral Home.
Memorial donations to Dixon Municipal Band (www.dixonmunicipalband.com/fundraising) and Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy (www.foundationforpn.org) are encouraged. Online condolences can be left at www.thejonesfh.com
