Richard D. Snyder

Richard D. Snyder

Cedar Rapids

Richard "Dick" D. Snyder of Bentley Village, Naples, Fla., and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away Feb. 26, 2023.

His daughter, Debra Polk, Bonita Springs, Fla., and his son, John, of Decorah, Iowa; as well as his three grandchildren, Candice LeHew, Lauren Wilson and Trevor (Meghan) Polk; and eight great-grandchildren, Gabrielle, Enoch, Adeline, Solomon, Charlotte, Emma, Declan and Fiadh, will miss his great wit and generous spirit.

Dick was born in 1930 and grew up in Des Moines with his mother, Irene, and grandparents, Edward and Emma Hahnen, where he attended Greenwood Elementary, Callahan Junior High, and Roosevelt High School. In 1952 he graduated in industrial economics from Iowa State University, where he was a proud member of Delta Upsilon. On Dec. 27, 1952, he was happily joined in marriage to Iris Mae Rosendahl, of Klemme, Iowa. After two years of employment at The Maytag Company of Newton, Iowa, he joined Rapids Machinery Co. of Marion, later Marion Mixers, eventually purchasing the company from his long-time friend, Van C. Coleman. In 1993 he co-founded Postal Services, Inc. of Cedar Rapids and served as president until he retired in 2002. In 1989, Dick and Iris became Florida residents and members of both the Bonita Bay Club and First Presbyterian Church of Bonita Springs, where they made many wonderful and lasting friendships.

During their years in Iowa, Dick was involved in many civic organizations, including the Chicken Little Chapter of the Phlat Erth Society and served faithfully in many capacities at First Presbyterian Church of Marion. Besides loving his family, Dick was also a lover of early jazz (Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday among his favorites) and also found time to collect stamps and coins, take Spanish lessons, research family history, play golf and was a faithful member of Team Egg in the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, aka RAGBRAI. Besides an ever-ready handkerchief and two-dollar bill in his back pocket, Dick always carried a well-timed joke. Or two.

His great passion for numerous years was Four Oaks, Inc, a family and children’s service organization that he joined in 1987 and served as past president and long-term board member. Four Oaks now serves all 99 counties in Iowa, and has become one of the state’s largest and strongest child welfare, juvenile justice, and behavioral health agencies.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 2 p.m. March 15, at First Presbyterian Church, 9751 Bonita Beach Rd SE, Bonita Springs, Fla.

Memorial gifts may kindly be directed to: Four Oaks Inc., c/o Debbie Craig, 5400 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404.