Carol Snyder

Carol Welch Snyder, age 88, beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother, died peacefully in hospice surrounded by family. Born on January 5th, 1934, to Gladys Gillespie Welch and William Welch, Jr., Carol grew up on Long Island with her siblings, Barbara and William. Ever studious, Carol was valedictorian of her Westbury, New York, high school class. She graduated from Hood College with majors in biology and psychology and Rhode Island College with a Master of School Psychology and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study. Carol met her future husband in high school but didn’t realize Ronald George Snyder was the one for her until she was in college at Hood and he was attending Cornell University. They married on June 9, 1956, soon after her college graduation. Carol and Ron moved to Pennsylvania where Ron was in the management training program for Westinghouse Corporation. After moves with the family to Connecticut and eventually Rhode Island, Carol dedicated the next phase of her life to raising her three children. Later, at a time when most women in her neighborhood stayed home, and her children were sufficiently grown, Carol began a 25 year career working for the Cumberland, Rhode Island School Department as a school psychologist.

Carol was happiest anytime she could see the ocean and smell the cool salt water breeze. She loved sailing on Narragansett Bay, reading novels, lunching with friends and arranging flowers. She was a woman of faith and enjoyed all church activities, especially the women’s circle and volunteering with people experiencing hardship or homelessness. Travelling throughout the United States and Europe on vacations, Carol and Ron especially enjoyed time spent in museums. Carol was respected and revered by her friends and co-workers. She was beloved and cherished by her family members who will grieve her loss immensely.

Carol was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, her sister Barbara Clark and her granddaughter, Caitlin Balser. She is survived by her daughters, Lauren Cole (Bob), and Melinda Balser (Jeff), and son, Douglas Snyder; brother William Welch (Angela); grandchildren Ashley Ritzmann (Ryan), Jocelyn Witowich (Nolan), Tyler Cole, Brittany Horan (Sean), James Balser (Noor), Jillian Balser, and Madeline Balser; great grandchildren Gabriel, Phoebe and Levi Ritzmann and Braylee and Reid Horan. 

Crevasse's Simple Cremation is honored to serve the Snyder family.