Ronald A. Snyder, of Kennedy, started every day with a pot of coffee and an enthusiasm for life that kept him young.
"He never looked his age," said Kathy Snyder, his wife of more than 29 years. "He looked 10 years younger than his age."

Mr. Snyder, a Lawrenceville native and retired firefighter, died Saturday, March 31, 2007, after a lengthy battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). He was 66.

His interests included country and rock music, coffee, bicycling, gardening, do-it-yourself home projects, cooking, camping and classic cars. And dental flossing?





"My daughter put that in (his obituary notice)," Kathy Snyder said with a laugh. "He liked to take care of his teeth. That was one thing for sure."

Alyssa Snyder said her father was a "country boy at heart" despite his urban background. He never tired of watching the seasons change, she said.

Her father never let his wide-ranging interests take the place of his family, Alyssa Snyder said.

"He saved a lot of money, but he never used it for the things that he liked to do," she said.

Instead, the money put her and her brother, Eric, through college.

Mr. Snyder's two favorite places were Virginia Beach, where he and Kathy spent their honeymoon, and Disney World. They went to Disney World several times with the children and several times more on their own, his wife said.

Typically, they started each day as soon as the amusement park opened up and would stay until it closed. "He was like a kid at heart," she said.

Mr. Snyder worked as a machinist and spent four years in the Air Force before discovering his passion for firefighting. He served on the Allegheny County fire department at Pittsburgh International Airport until he retired in 2001.

Mr. Snyder took a week off before starting a job with Butler Auto Auction in Cranberry, where he worked for four years until his worsening condition from ALS forced him to take medical leave, his wife said.

He is survived by his wife, Kathy Strope Snyder, of Kennedy; daughter, Alyssa Snyder, of Kennedy; son, Eric Snyder, of Westland, Mich.; mother, Dorothy Dieter Snyder, of Lawrenceville; brother, Edward Snyder, of Sebring, Fla.; and sister, Gloria Watcher, of Penn Hills.

He was preceded in death by his father, Edward Snyder.

Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. today at McDermott Funeral Home, 334 Forest Grove Road, Kennedy.

A funeral service will be held at noon Wednesday at Ken Mawr United Presbyterian Church, Kennedy.

BOWMAN, Chad, 34, of Tampa, passed away Monday, April 2, 2007. He was preceded in death by his brother, Shane, and is survived by his parents, Brian and Brenda Bowman of Auburn, Ala. The family will receive friends 7-8 p.m. Thursday at Blount & Curry Funeral Home, 605 S. MacDill Ave. Funeral services will take place at 11 a.m. Friday, April 6, at Hyde Park United Methodist Church, 500 W. Platt St. Those who so desire may make memorial contributions to The ALS Association, Florida Chapter, 5005 W. Laurel St., Suite 110, Tampa, FL 33607. Please sign the online guestbook at www.blountcurry.com

Obituary: Ronald A. Snyder / Allegheny County firefighter who had a sense of humor
July 5, 1940 - March 31, 2007
Wednesday, April 04, 2007

By Torsten Ove, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



He grew up a car-loving gearhead in Lawrenceville and spent nearly 30 years as a robust firefighter at Pittsburgh International Airport who dreamed of building a house one day with his own hands.

Ronald A. Snyder was the kind of guy who could do things.

On a bet, he once lifted an engine out of a car as an 18-year-old and walked around his block in Lawrenceville carrying it to prove his strength.

Even when he developed ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, in 2005, he said he would defeat it.

"He was just so upbeat, so positive," said Gene Hillard, president of International Association of Firefighters Local 1038. "We went to his house and we laughed and joked. This is the kind of guy who inspires me, because I'm pretty much a pessimist."

But after a long battle, Mr. Snyder's condition steadily declined. He ultimately couldn't beat the disease and died Saturday. He was 66 and lived in Kennedy.

A former fuel specialist in the U.S. Air Force, Mr. Snyder spent his career as an Allegheny County firefighter at the airport, where he and his comrades responded to fuel spills, fires, medical problems.

He especially enjoyed working as an emergency medical technician and once helped rush a pregnant woman to the hospital just as the baby was crowning.

His best friend, John McMurray, 65, of Las Vegas, said Mr. Snyder was relieved not to handle the delivery himself. That was one of the few duties he hoped he wouldn't have to tackle.

"It was closer than he ever wanted it to be," said Mr. McMurray. "His worst nightmare was to have to deliver a baby."

The airport has 44 firefighters who stay busy on calls of all kinds.

"You'd be surprised," said his wife, Kathy, 53. "A lot of stuff doesn't make the news."

Many days were routine, but not Sept. 8, 1994, when USAir Flight 427 crashed in Beaver County. Mr. Snyder responded from home.

"He was there within a half hour," said Mrs. Snyder. "He spent a lot of time there. It really affected him."

Many firefighters retired after the crash and Mr. Snyder could have, too, but he stayed on out of a sense of obligation to his family and his enthusiasm for the job.

"He just really loved the camaraderie and the bond that firefighters have," said Mrs. Snyder. "It's just a special bond that nobody knows but firefighters."

Mr. Snyder was known as a conscientious firefighter. At an annual function last November in Lawrenceville, he was presented with the St. Florian service award for his dedication.

"He was a jokester but he took his job very seriously," said a former colleague, Jozef Lataster, 68, of Moon. "I always told him he was one of the good guys."

Colleagues and family members mostly remember his sense of fun.

His daughter, Alyssa, 27, of Kennedy, described him in a paid obituary as an "avid music lover, dental flosser, coffee drinker, bicyclist, gardener, do-it-yourselfer, mechanic, cook, camper, firefighter and classic car fan."

The dental flossing was kind of a compulsion. Mrs. Snyder said he was so particular about his teeth that he flossed as many as four times a day.

Healthy as he was, the ALS slowly robbed him of the use of his body.

As his condition worsened, Mr. McMurray persuaded Mrs. Snyder to bring him to Las Vegas last June to see some of the sights.

"We just partied the whole week," said Mr. McMurray. "I'm so glad that I was there to help."

Besides his wife and daughter, Mr. Snyder is survived by his mother, Dorothy, of Lawrenceville; son, Eric, of Westland, Mich.; brother, Edward, of Sebring, Fla., and sister, Gloria Wachter, of Penn Hills.

Visitation was Monday and yesterday at McDermott Funeral Home in Kennedy. A funeral service will be today at noon at Ken Mawr United Presbyterian Church, Kennedy.

Kevin N. Schrandt -- Rochester
ROCHESTER -- The funeral Mass for Kevin N. Schrandt will be at 1 p.m. Monday in the Church of the Resurrection in Rochester, with the Rev. Thomas Loomis officiating. Burial will be in Byron Cemetery.

Mr. Schrandt, 52, of Rochester, died Wednesday (April 4, 2007) at Charter House Hospice. He had been ill for two years with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Born Aug. 5, 1954, in Austin, he moved to Winona as a child. Following high school, he graduated from the College of St. Theresa in Winona, and later graduated from Winona State University as a registered nurse. He was a nurse at Rochester Methodist Hospital until becoming ill. On Oct. 21, 1989, he married Linda L. Sobieck in Rochester; she is also a nurse at Methodist Hospital. Mr. Schrandt enjoyed being with his family, fishing, gardening and baking.

Survivors include his wife; two daughters at home, Amy and Kari Ann; three brothers, Dennis and Brian (Sherri), both of Rochester, and Dean (Barbara) of Mantorville; and a sister, Trish (Don) Corcoran of Winona. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Friends may call from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at Resurrection Catholic Church. There will be a rosary at 6 p.m.

The family prefers memorials to the Kevin N. Schrandt Memorial Fund at any Associated Bank branch in Rochester.

Macken Funeral Home of Rochester is in charge of arrangements.

Margaret Booth, 65, hairdresser
DETROIT NATIVE WIELDED CLIPPERS IN WILLOW GLEN AREA FOR 35 YEARS
By Sue Chenoweth
Mercury News
Article Launched: 04/08/2007 01:56:35 AM PDT



Margaret "Peggy" Booth, a Willow Glen hairdresser for more than 35 years, touched three generations with her clippers, kindness and sense of humor.

Mrs. Booth opened "Peggy's Willow Glen Beauty Salon" in 1975. When the long, narrow brick structure sandwiched between doughnut and vitamin shops closed in the early '90s for retrofitting, loyal clients made a beeline for her new space at Ronald's Coiffeurs.

"Every time I sat in her chair, Peggy made me feel like a princess," remembered Kristin Quintin, whose mother and 8-month-old daughter also were clients.

"Peggy gave Emma her first haircut in early February," Quintin said. The ailing Mrs. Booth was in bed when she gently combed the infant's cowlick and gave it a snip.

On March 18, 2 1/2 years after being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, Mrs. Booth died at her home in San Jose's Blossom Valley. The day before, Mrs. Booth had celebrated her 65th birthday.

For more than three decades, Mrs. Booth carefully permed, colored and cut legions of regulars, from "hip, slick, cool" clients to "blue-haired ladies," her son Sean Mulcaster said.

His mother also kept him "trimmed like a poodle." And she deftly applied her skills on Quintin's mother, Lois Marlow, and her thin, fine hair.

"I haven't seen anyone else in the USA since - except for one time in Clayton, Mo.," Marlow said. "I loved Peggy," she said, acknowledging that she wasn't the only one. "If you were Peggy's


client, you were family."
Mrs. Booth and her first husband "didn't have two dimes to rub together" when they left her native Detroit in the mid-1960s and headed for Southern California. Her wishful, close-knit Irish family gave them six months in the Golden State.

For six years, the young family lived in the shadow of Disneyland's Matterhorn. In 1972, they moved to San Jose. By then, Mrs. Booth was a certified beautician and her first marriage was headed for divorce. The year the divorce was final, 1977, she met Herschel Booth.

The couple married in Oct. 7, 1979 - despite the clumsy English aviator joke he tried to impress her with at their first meeting. The joke "popped up" on occasion throughout their 29-year marriage. And in time, Herschel Booth began to call her his beloved "Pollyanna Peg."

Together the Booths liked playing golf at Ridgemark Golf Club and Country Club in Hollister and working in their yard. They also enjoyed dinner with friends and shopping for Belleck Irish pottery.

"I used to tease Peg," her husband said, "that the huge china cabinet holding her collection was the big Buick we never bought."

His wife was a fastidious homemaker, Herschel Booth said. And very organized.

"Once grown, we started having holidays there," Sean Mulcaster said. "When we arrived, the house was always filled with the aroma of our holiday feast and Mom would be sitting on the couch doing the New York Times crossword puzzle."

The day Mrs. Booth died, her breath was labored as she spoke to her family and asked them to stay close and in each other's lives no matter what, Mulcaster said.

"We were bawling our eyes out, then Mom looked up and said: `Did you guys get something to eat?'"

Next thing, everyone was howling, Mulcaster said. That's when he turned to his mother and quipped: "Oh, so now you're going to host this, too?"




MARGARET "PEGGY" BOOTH

Born: March 17, 1942, in Detroit

Died: March 18, 2007, in San Jose

Survived by: Her husband, Herschel Booth of San Jose; her sons Sean and Christopher Mulcaster, both of San Jose; her daughter, Jennifer Mulcaster of Mountain View; her brothers Philip Johnston of Warren, Mich., and Patrick Johnston of Spokane, Wash.; and her granddaughter, Abigail Porter.

Services: Memorial gathering is scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. Friday at Kirigin Cellars, 11550 Watsonville Road, Gilroy.

Memorial: In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Forbes Norris MDA/ALS Research Center, 2324 Sacramento St., San Francisco, Calif. 94115.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For more obituaries go to www.mercurynews.com/ obituaries/

Hoffmann, Robert J.

Robert J. Hoffmann of Batavia Funeral services for Robert J. Hoffmann, 48, will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 950 Hart Road, Batavia, where he will lie in state from 10 a.m. until the time of service. Interment will follow in West Batavia Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday, April 8, at Moss Family Funeral Home, 209 S. Batavia Ave. (Route 31 and Main St.), Batavia. Robert J. Hoffmann went home to heaven on Thursday, April 5, 2007, while surrounded by his family. Bob fought against Lyme disease and/or ALS, a/k/a Lou Gehrig's disease for over two years, most of which was on a vent. We thank God for His presence during our journey and for the rest and peace He now provides for Bob. Bob was employed as a mortgage banker with Fannie Mae in the Chicago office since 1997. He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Vicki; their three sons, Bob, Tom and Dan; his sister, Barbara (nee Hoffmann) Preloger of Sioux Falls, S.D.; and his father, William Hoffmann of Brookfield, Wis., along with many members of extended family, church family at Immanuel in Batavia, and friends from the neighborhood and his office. He was preceded in death by his brother, Bill Hoffmann (18 years ago); and his mother, Jean Hoffmann (6 years ago). Contributions would be welcomed for Immanuel Lutheran Church, 950 Hart Road, Batavia, IL 60510, and for Les Turner ALS Foundation, 5550 W. Touhy, Suite 302, Skokie, IL 60077 in Bob's memory. For information, 630-879-7900.
Published in the Chicago Suburban Daily Herald on 4/7/2007.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Robert "Mike" Williams

Robert “Mike” Williams, 68, of Ona, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, April 3, 2007, after a long battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).

He was born in South Charleston. He was retired from FMC Corporation with 35 years of service. He was an Army veteran.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Earnest and Ruth Williams; sisters, Pauline Wing, Jean Reed, Carol VanDyke, and Margie Carter.

Mike is survived by his wife, Helen Rader Williams, son, Mike Williams and his wife, Julie, and their children, Bradley and Rachel; sisters, Virginia Ross of Sour Lake, Texas, Phyllis and husband, Carroll Safreed, of St. Albans, Remona Beaver of Lee Vining, Calif., Jo and husband, Ronnie Westfall, of Charlotte, N.C.; brother, Bill Williams and wife, Rose Marie, of Tennessee; and many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Mike's life will be 11 a.m. Saturday, April 7, at Tyler Mountain Funeral Home with Bishop Gordon D. Ford officiating. Entombment will follow in Tyler Mountain Memory Gardens Mausoleum. There will be a gathering of family and friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home, 5233 Rocky Fork Rd, Cross Lanes, WV 25313.

You may express online condolences at tylermountainfuneralhome.com.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


BRUCE E. ELMORE, 61, formerly of MIDDLETOWN
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 04/5/07
BRUCE E. ELMORE, 61, formerly of MIDDLETOWN, passed away peacefully Thursday, March 29, with his loving wife at his side, at their home in Washoe Valley, Nev., after a courageous battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). A former resident of Middletown, he graduated from Middletown Township High School in 1963. Bruce went on to serve his country during the Vietnam Conflict and was honorably discharged in 1968. He had an extensive career in the telecommunications industry beginning in 1968 with New Jersey Bell. When AT&T merged with New Jersey Bell in 1983, he continued to advance his career as a systems technician. Bruce retired from Lucent Technologies in 1999 and resumed his career with Verizon Communications in New York City in 2000. He was a former union delegate for the IBEW, and an active member of CWA Local 1101 in Manhattan. Bruce was an avid outdoorsman who loved to hike, ski, fish and hunt and was an excellent marksman. He had a deep respect and appreciation for the beauty of nature and had always dreamed of hiking the Appalachian Trail. He had hiked portions of the Tahoe Rim Trail in Nevada, and was always eager to explore new adventures. Bruce always kept his Nikon with him to capture the special moments of his experiences.

Bruce is survived by his wife, Caril; and his four children from a previous marriage, Rachael Elmore of Port Monmouth, Daniel and his wife Joy of Keansburg, Rebekah Anderson and her husband Daniel of Charleston, W.Va., and Sarah Sambucini and her husband Michael of Atlantic Highlands. He took great joy in spending time with his eight beautiful grandchildren.

A celebration of his life will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. today at John F. Pfleger Funeral Home, 115 Tindall Road, Middletown. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the ALS Foundation of Nevada, 6370 W. Flamingo, Suite 3, Las Vegas, NV 89103. Letters of condolence may be e-mailed to pflegerfh@aol.com.

HARRISON, Franklin Wayne Elmer -His family mourns his . . .

(Apr 9, 2007) -- HARRISON, Franklin Wayne Elmer -His family mourns his passing, at The Woodhaven Nursing Home, Markham, on April 7, 2007, in his 72nd year from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrigs Disease). Wayne will be sadly missed by his brothers, Jack (Connie) Stouffville, Bill (Pat) New Hamburg; his sister, Margaret Cosgrove of Cape Canaveral, FL; his step-brother, James Steen; step-sister, Ann Smith, their families; nieces; nephews; great-nieces and great-nephews. He was predeceased by his mother, Dorothy Eleanor (June 1943); his step-mother, Vera Esther (June 1989) and his father, William Austin Harrison (October 1989). Friends may call at O'Neill Funeral Home, 6324 Main St., Stouffville (905-642-2855) on Tuesday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Service in the chapel Wednesday at 11 a.m. Interment will take place at Memory Gardens, Breslau, Ontario. Donations in Wayne's name to the ALS Society of Ontario or the charity of choice would be deeply appreciated by the family.

Dr. J. Jeffrey Eaves


April 09, 2007



Dr. J. Jeffrey Eaves passed away on April 3, 2007, from complications of ALS. Born February 9, 1947, to Jack and Marianne (nee Campbell) Eaves. He grew up in Delafield on Lake Nagawicka and raised his family in the Lake Country area.


Jeff will be deeply missed by his loving wife Deborah; and children Jack, Mick and Liz; mother-in-law Donna Farley; sisters Marcia and Sherry (John) Kennedy; and brother Jamie (Barbara); brothers-in-law Tom Farley (Kathy), David Farley (Chris); nieces and nephews: Jessica, Patrick, Caity, Megan, Courtney, Bridget, Maggie, Cullen, Kerry; other relatives; devoted friends; and loyal patients. Preceded in death by his parents, father-in-law James Farley and Aunt Gertrude Campbell.

Jeff was a 1965 graduate of Arrowhead High School. He graduated from Marquette Dental School, class of 1974. A private practice dentist for 30 years, Jeff was a member of the ADA, WDA and past President of the Waukesha Dental Society. He was also an alumnus of the L.D. Pankey Institute and recipient of the prestigious Academy of General Dentistry fellowship award. Jeff volunteered for many years at St. Joe's Dental Clinic in Waukesha and was active in the Waukesha Rotary Club.

Jeff's great loves, beyond his wife and family, were fishing, snow and water skiing and an avid Packer fan. Jeff spent many hours fishing and enjoyed Lunkers Unlimited outings and trips to northern Wisconsin, on Long Lake with family and friends. He will be greatly missed by all of his fishing buddies. Jeff was a member of the National Ski Patrol at Little Swiss Valley and was a founding member of the Nagawatics Water Ski Club. He skied competitively, and was one of the first people to barefoot ski on Lake Nagawicka. His last barefoot run was at age 50 while teaching his own children.

Coaching his children's sports teams through grade school, high school and CYM basketball at St. Charles, was one of his greatest joys. This past season, his team won the Division Championship. An active member of St. Charles Parish, Jeff helped to start the successful St. Charles fish fry.

The visitation will be Thursday, April 12th from 4:00-7:00 PM at St. Charles Catholic Church, 313 Circle Drive, Hartland. Mass will follow. If desired, memorials to Wisconsin ALS Association or to St. Charles Parish.

Heartfelt thanks to the many friends, patients, relatives, caregivers and parish members who helped to support Jeff and his family with their thoughts, prayers and visits. A special thanks to the caring staff of ProHealth Homecare and the ALS Association.

"Just tell me old shipmates, I'm takin' a trip mates and I'll see you one day in Fiddler's Green."

Church and Chapel
(262) 827- 0659
www.churchandchapel.com

Thelma (Schmidlin) Foley March 28, 1925-April 8, 2007

story updated April 10. 2007 10:55AM


LAMBERTVILLE - Thelma (Schmidlin) Foley, 82, of Lambertville died Sunday morning in her home. She had suffered from Parkinson's Disease for three years and from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) for three years.

Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Blanchard-Strabler Funeral Home, Toledo, where services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday. Private burial will take place later.

Born March 28, 1925, she was the daughter of Louis and Pauline (Dolgner) Schmidlin. She married Gerald (Jerry) Foley July 3, 1948.

Mrs. Foley worked for Walding, Kinnan and Marvin of the Toledo area. Later, she was a homemaker.

She graduated from Clay High School, Toledo, with singer Theresa Brewer.

Surviving are her husband; two daughters, Shelly (Dave) Antkowiak of Lambertville and Robin (Kevin) Raley of Palm Coast, Fla.; four brothers, Harold (Kathy), Bob (Donna), Frank (Donna) and Bill (Betty); two sisters, Ruth (Bud) Wolf and Hazel (Bob) Holden; four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by a brother, Glen.

Memorials may be made to Hospice of Northwest Ohio, Toledo and Perrysburg, Ohio.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


Naomi L. Disbennett-Heavlin

DELAWARE - Naomi L. Disbennett-Heavlin, age 69, of Delaware, died early Tuesday morning, April 10, 2007, at Wintersong Village following a courageous four-month battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).

Friends may call from 4-8 p.m. Thursday, April 12, 2007, at DeVore-Snyder Funeral Home, 75 W. William St. (Ohio 36), Delaware, where funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, April 13, 2007, with Pastor Darrell Anderson officiating. Burial will follow in Oak Grove Cemetery.



Memorial contributions can be made to Hospice at Grady, 561 W. Central Ave., Delaware, OH 43015.

Condolences may be expressed at www.snyderfuner alhomes.com