Thomas E. Snyder, M.D., age 95, passed away peacefully on December 19, 2021, at the VA Medical Center, Syracuse, N.Y., after a brief illness.  Dr. Snyder, or “Tom” to all, was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, and was a family practice medical doctor in East Syracuse, N.Y., for three decades.  He skillfully cared for generations of patients.  Later, when he lost his hearing and retired from medicine, Dr. Snyder became a tireless advocate for those in the Deaf community in Central New York.

     Born and raised in East Syracuse, Tom Snyder graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1947 and from the Syracuse University College of Medicine in 1949.  He served during the Korean War in the U.S. Air Force as a Flight Surgeon with the rank of Captain.  During his time in the Air Force, Tom received further education at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.  He also learned to fly airfield planes and seaplanes. 

     Following military service in 1954, Tom took over his father’s medical practice in East Syracuse.  In 1956, he married Catherine (“Kitty”) Cleary, a teacher from Somerville, N.J. -- legend has it after giving her a seaplane ride on their first date.  Tom and Kitty resided in Dewitt, N.Y., where they raised two children.  Dr. Snyder was active in his profession, serving as President of the N.Y.S. Health Officers Association -- where he championed the rollout of the Salk polio vaccine statewide -- as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Practice at Upstate Medical University, and in the American Medical Association and Onondaga County Medical Society.  He was also a staff member at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Crouse Hospital in Syracuse. 

     However, it was practicing medicine in his office every day that Tom Snyder loved -- taking care of babies, children, young parents, the middle-aged and elderly.  Because many of his patients during his years of practice worked in the numerous factories around the east side of Syracuse and were unable to leave work for medical appointments, Dr. Snyder went back to his office two evenings a week for decades and had office hours until 11 p.m. to accommodate them.  He made house calls at all hours of the day and night several times a month for years.

     But Tom most of all loved spending time with his family and friends -- during enjoyable visits, celebrating birthdays with pizza, watching S.U. and Notre Dame football and basketball games, sharing the gentle companionship of his beloved dogs, and, when younger, taking the family on houseboat rides on Oneida and Cayuga Lakes.  In his later years Tom was a regular visitor to the Fayetteville, N.Y., Senior Center, and resided at the Towne Center Retirement Community in Fayetteville, making many new friends and enjoying the activities there.        

     His hearing loss did not slow Dr. Snyder down.  He received one of the first cochlear implants in Central New York in 1984, was the first president of the Iroquois Cochlear Implant Club and the SHHH Group, and was active in the C.N.Y. Association for the Hearing Impaired, now Aurora of Central New York, Inc., where Dr. Snyder served as a board member.  Of necessity an early adopter of email and captioned telephone service after losing his hearing, Tom was always researching and guiding others with hearing loss about new technology to help them achieve effective communication.

     Dr. Snyder was a proud member of the American Legion and the D.A.V., and the family is grateful to the skilled and attentive care providers Tom had at the Syracuse VA Hospital Medical Center, while as a resident in the VA Community Living Center (“CLC”) and as a patient in Floor 6C of the hospital. 

     Dr. Snyder was predeceased by his beloved wife of 50 years, Kitty; his father, Matthias Snyder, M.D.; his mother, Cecelia (Gorman) Snyder; his brother, Robert Snyder; and sister, Margaret Snyder.  He is survived by his children James T. Snyder (Georgette) of Fayetteville, N.Y., and Ann Snyder-Bilharz (Richard) of Manlius, N.Y.; cherished grandchildren -- to whom he will always be known as “Boppa” -- Katie (Bilharz) Gabriel (Mike), Jeffrey Bilharz (Jenna), Thomas Snyder and Megan Snyder; and great-grandchildren, Annabelle and Frances Gabriel, and Violet Bilharz; as well as his sisters-in-law, Betty Cleary and Marie Snyder; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

     A man of devout faith and generosity to charities of every kind, Dr. Snyder was a long-time parishioner at Holy Cross R.C. Church in Dewitt, N.Y.  A funeral Mass will be celebrated there in the Spring of 2022 at a date and time to be determined. 

     In lieu of flowers, contributions in Dr. Snyder’s name may be made to: Food Bank of Central New York, 7066 Interstate Island Road, Syracuse, N.Y. 13209.