Richard (Dick) Snell died on Thursday, July 8, 2010 after fighting blood cancer for over 2 years. Dick lived in Park City, Utah. He will be sadly missedby all fellow graduates.
I moved next door to the Snell family in Jan 1968 and lived there for that calendar year. All of the family from the Dad to Tom the youngest brother were my family and I was theirs. I can't tell you how much it meant to me to be so immediately accepted in the first civilian environment I had ever lived to that time in my life. They introduced me to their friends, took me to concerts (Jimi Hendrix, The Who, etc.) and made me feel special. It's tough accepting age and the inevitabilities. Dick Snell was one of the nicest people I have ever known.
I was deeply saddened to hear of Dick's passing. Glenn Van Shellenbeck told me about two weeks earlier he was about to visit Dick so I was encouraged that he was doing well. I was quite surprised to learn of his death.
Dick is in a photo on my profile - it was taken at a restaurant a group of us went to after the senior prom. In it, he's clearly having a good time.
I also remember that the Snells had the first Toyota I'd ever seen. I thought they were the coolest people because of the very creative things they did and the great car they had.
Although I hadn't seen Dick in quite some time, I still considered him a friend and will miss him.
I have a old snapshot of Dick Snell taken in our freshman year of high school. He was outside at the snack bar. It was early on, when we were still eating lunch with our friends from junior high, before we all moved on to other friendships and other lives. He was such a sweet boy with such a happy, smiling face. It is so sad knowing that he is no longer with us.
Dick Snell, his family and mine were part of great number of people who moved to Houston during the early boom time. Many of us bonded over our disenfranchised lives, what we had all left behind, what the heck was this new place anyway? They from Denver, me from (cowboy bootless) Miami; wherever, the start of high school is a tough time to move. Dick, Dave and myself were steadfast friends, and I walked home from school almost everyday to their house on Raritan, and then one of them would drive me the rest of the way to Eddystone. We often went bowling down on Long Point Road, and I still laugh when I think of the night Dick forgot to turn in his bowling shoes. We frequented the Thunderbird (aka Thunderchicken) drive-in, and laughed so hard one night one night when a little kid running from the concession stand with a box load of sodas went up against the speaker-to-car line on the vehicle directly in front of us (the line won, the kid was not injured, and I can still picture that explosive moment of contact). We went to the "Living Eye" nightclub in the Branch, and the old nighclub (the Cavern?) near the present Galleria. Such good music; we even managed to see Jimi Hendrix at the Music Hall even though we didn't have tickets by just jumping around from empty seat to seat. And incidentally you and Dave were right: the Beatles didn't "die" as of Rubber Soul; we considered such topics with great earnest back then. I learned to drive a shift on their new Toyota, crashing and burning around the SWHS parking lot. We often ran out of gas while trying to find the cheapest gas during gas wars while driving in the Snell Family 9-miles per gallon Oldsmobile wagon, which, incidentally, the family drove (straight through by shifts) to Pittsburgh to visit relatives in the summer. My Father's work then had Skybox tickets at the Astrodome, and the Snells were highly dedicated Pirates fans, but we went and watched everything from soccer to rodeos from the high altitudes. We had those dreadful "K" classes together, and Dick was so whizzy at chemistry and math. We sweated the lottery and the draft; Dick was enraged at Nixon. Very early on, Dick had contacts, I recall how they made him blink-blink-blink from their sheer size; I think his were green. Helen (Mom) was a great cook, but Dick hated the evenings when dinner was creamed peas and salmon cakes. I first met his lovely and talented wife Pam years ago in Austin, after graduation. This loss is hard and deeply resonates; Dick was a daily part of my life for all of high school, and we all stayed in touch thereafter. He was funny, kind, and a really fine person and friend.
Dick was a friend in high school and in college at UT. He was always happy and fun-loving -- great to be around. In college, I went to Dick and Pam's wedding. It was outdoor and perfect for the two of them. Even though I hadn't been in contact with Dick for many years, I feel a deep loss and sadness. Life just isn't fair when it takes such a wonderful soul such as Dick. I will miss him.
Glenn VanShellenbeck called me from Utah just yesterday, and told me that he had just been visiting with Pam. I know he was able to tell her how many of us send our sympathies.
Pam Snell alerted me to this link to Dick's obituary in the Salt Lake Tribune, and asked that friends sign the guestbook. It's time sensitive, so don't wait!
Thomas H. Williford
I moved next door to the Snell family in Jan 1968 and lived there for that calendar year. All of the family from the Dad to Tom the youngest brother were my family and I was theirs. I can't tell you how much it meant to me to be so immediately accepted in the first civilian environment I had ever lived to that time in my life. They introduced me to their friends, took me to concerts (Jimi Hendrix, The Who, etc.) and made me feel special. It's tough accepting age and the inevitabilities. Dick Snell was one of the nicest people I have ever known.
Tom Williford
Randy Stalnaker
I was deeply saddened to hear of Dick's passing. Glenn Van Shellenbeck told me about two weeks earlier he was about to visit Dick so I was encouraged that he was doing well. I was quite surprised to learn of his death.
Dick is in a photo on my profile - it was taken at a restaurant a group of us went to after the senior prom. In it, he's clearly having a good time.
I also remember that the Snells had the first Toyota I'd ever seen. I thought they were the coolest people because of the very creative things they did and the great car they had.
Although I hadn't seen Dick in quite some time, I still considered him a friend and will miss him.
Deana L. Kuehn
I have a old snapshot of Dick Snell taken in our freshman year of high school. He was outside at the snack bar. It was early on, when we were still eating lunch with our friends from junior high, before we all moved on to other friendships and other lives. He was such a sweet boy with such a happy, smiling face. It is so sad knowing that he is no longer with us.
Paige E. Carlin (Newby)
Dick Snell, his family and mine were part of great number of people who moved to Houston during the early boom time. Many of us bonded over our disenfranchised lives, what we had all left behind, what the heck was this new place anyway? They from Denver, me from (cowboy bootless) Miami; wherever, the start of high school is a tough time to move. Dick, Dave and myself were steadfast friends, and I walked home from school almost everyday to their house on Raritan, and then one of them would drive me the rest of the way to Eddystone. We often went bowling down on Long Point Road, and I still laugh when I think of the night Dick forgot to turn in his bowling shoes. We frequented the Thunderbird (aka Thunderchicken) drive-in, and laughed so hard one night one night when a little kid running from the concession stand with a box load of sodas went up against the speaker-to-car line on the vehicle directly in front of us (the line won, the kid was not injured, and I can still picture that explosive moment of contact). We went to the "Living Eye" nightclub in the Branch, and the old nighclub (the Cavern?) near the present Galleria. Such good music; we even managed to see Jimi Hendrix at the Music Hall even though we didn't have tickets by just jumping around from empty seat to seat. And incidentally you and Dave were right: the Beatles didn't "die" as of Rubber Soul; we considered such topics with great earnest back then. I learned to drive a shift on their new Toyota, crashing and burning around the SWHS parking lot. We often ran out of gas while trying to find the cheapest gas during gas wars while driving in the Snell Family 9-miles per gallon Oldsmobile wagon, which, incidentally, the family drove (straight through by shifts) to Pittsburgh to visit relatives in the summer. My Father's work then had Skybox tickets at the Astrodome, and the Snells were highly dedicated Pirates fans, but we went and watched everything from soccer to rodeos from the high altitudes. We had those dreadful "K" classes together, and Dick was so whizzy at chemistry and math. We sweated the lottery and the draft; Dick was enraged at Nixon. Very early on, Dick had contacts, I recall how they made him blink-blink-blink from their sheer size; I think his were green. Helen (Mom) was a great cook, but Dick hated the evenings when dinner was creamed peas and salmon cakes. I first met his lovely and talented wife Pam years ago in Austin, after graduation. This loss is hard and deeply resonates; Dick was a daily part of my life for all of high school, and we all stayed in touch thereafter. He was funny, kind, and a really fine person and friend.
Carole A. Rey
Dick was a friend in high school and in college at UT. He was always happy and fun-loving -- great to be around. In college, I went to Dick and Pam's wedding. It was outdoor and perfect for the two of them. Even though I hadn't been in contact with Dick for many years, I feel a deep loss and sadness. Life just isn't fair when it takes such a wonderful soul such as Dick. I will miss him.
Glenn VanShellenbeck called me from Utah just yesterday, and told me that he had just been visiting with Pam. I know he was able to tell her how many of us send our sympathies.
Paige E. Carlin (Newby)
Pam Snell alerted me to this link to Dick's obituary in the Salt Lake Tribune, and asked that friends sign the guestbook. It's time sensitive, so don't wait!
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/saltlaketribune/obituary.aspx?n=richard-snell&pid=144119755