Obituary of B. Stewart Snyder

B. Stewart "Stew" Snyder, 93, of the Lutheran Home, formerly of 521 South Main St., died at 7:57 p.m. Wednesday (May 2, 2012) in the WCA Hospital. He was born in Jamestown on July 21, 1918 the son of the late Stewart R. and Margaret Drescher Snyder. Stew was the owner and operator of Snyder Signs, Inc. for over fifty years. He painted everything from highway billboards to office doors, boats, busses, etc.. Although he enjoyed the sign business, Stew's first love was always music. Stew's orchestra spanned a fifty year period of time, during which he wrote all of his own arrangements. He always used teachers from various local schools and from SUNY at Fredonia in his band, as well as other local talented musicians. He was known for his wonderful dance music and he had many fans who followed him around wherever they heard he was appearing. Stew's music career got its start when he took only eight trumpet lessons from Arthur Goranson at Jamestown High School before he graduated in 1936. He definitely had a God-given talent and was a "natural" on the music stage. Just out of high school, he played with the Don Leroy five piece band at the Krazy Kat and later at The Stein on North Main St. in Jamestown. At this time he was also in the High Hatters Band at Shea's Theater. He started his own band (Stew Snyder Orchestra) about 1940 and played at The Pier Ballroom (at Celoron Park) until the attack on Pearl Harbor when he enlisted in the US Army Air Corps and served as an air traffic controller out of the Merced Air Base in California. He returned to Jamestown in 1945 after the war and went back to playing at The Pier Ballroom. Many nationally-renowned big bands came to play at The Pier Ballroom during that era. One of those, the Louis Prima Band, was hired to play at The Pier and while they were there, Stew was offered a spot in Prima's band on tour. He turned down the invitation and stayed here in Jamestown. Stew's own big band played at The Pier Ballroom through the 1940's and 1950's, and he eventually became part owner on The Pier, which burned to the ground in 1962. During this same time period, he also played regularly at the Fairmount Grill and the Bemus Point Casino. The 1960's found Stew playing at the Bar-B Restaurant in Busti with just a five piece ensemble. Throughout the 1970's his big band played at the Three Flags Restaurant outside of Warren, Pa. on a weekly basis. During the 70's he also played at the Red Coach Inn and Webb's Captain's Table in Mayville, with the latter gig lasting through the 1980's. In addition to his weekly commitments for dining and dancing music, he played many concerts at the Goranson Band Shell in Allen Park, at the Labor Day Festival in Bergman Park and he performed at Camp Chautauqua on a frequent basis. He belonged to the "Company E" and the Moose marching bands and participated in all of the parades in the area for many years. He also played at many policeman's balls, high school proms and wedding receptions throughout his career. Stew was honored at a "Raise the Roof" event organized by the Community Music Project at the Bemus Point Casino ballroom on May 16, 2003. About 200 friends, family and other music lovers attended and the Mayors of Jamestown and Bemus Point were in attendance and proclaimed the day as "Stew Snyder Day" in their respective communities. John Cross organized a band that included some of Stew's old band members and they played using his original arrangements. It was a night to remember! Read condolences for B. Stewart "Stew" Snyder. Stew ws inducted into the Chautauqua County Music Hall of Fame in September 2007. This was definitely the culmination of an outstanding career spanning five decades. he "lived his life out loud" by sharing his special musical talents with all of the past and present generations of Chautauqua County and its surrounding communities. As recent as 2009, at the age of 90, Stew was still involve in music. He assisted the curator at the Fenton History Center with an exhibit entitled, "In the Mood: Big Bands in Chautauqua County", featuring Stew's music as a backdrop. The exhibit ran from March through November of that year. As Fenton officials stated at the time, "He brought the exhibit to life." Surviving are a daughter, Maggie (John) Scorse, Jamestown; three sons, Dr B. Stewart (Sandy) Snyder III ("Bud"), Sanford, N.C.; Lewis (Denise) Snyder, Jamestown; Mark (Linda) Snyder, Columbia, S.C.; a step-son, John Haworth, Chautauqua; eight grandchildren: Kim (Dave) Kowalski, Jackson, Mich.; Troy (Mary) Moran, Jamestown; Paul (Holly) Snyder, Westfield, N.Y.; Joshua Snyder, Hawaii; Matthew (Courtney) Snyder, Canadaigua. N.Y.; April Snyder, Greensboro, N.C.; Heather (Andy) Glover, Jamestown; Allison Snyder, Indianopolis, Indiana; and twelve great grandchildren. He is also survived by two step-sisters, Charmaine Morton and Bertha Mallik and a step-brother, William Snyder, all of Pittsburgh, Pa.. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his second wife, Elizabeth Filbrick Snyder , whom he married on April 10, 1970 and who died on April 17, 2008; two brothers, Bernard and Kenneth Snyder; a step-son, James Haworth; his first wife and mother of his children Lois Putnam Snyder; and a great granddaughter, Gabrielle Spaulding. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. Monday in Sacred Heart Catholic Church. The Rev. Msgr. Joseph Dowdell, pastor, will be the celebrant. Inurnment will be in Mayville Cemetery. Friends will be received on Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Hubert Funeral Home And Cremation Services. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Sacred Heart Catholic Church,380 E. Fairmount Ave., Lakewood, N.Y. 14750 or to the Humane Society, 2825 Strunk Rd., Jamestown, N.Y. 14701. You may send a condolence to the family by visiting www.hubertfuneralhome.com. Website by Billie Jean Hubert.