James Alan Snyder

James Alan Snyder, Lieutenant Colonel USAF Retired, born September 7, 1928, in Minneapolis, Minnesota and died May 8, 2023. Son of Arthur Alan Snyder of Toronto, Canada, and Dora Lee Gourley Snyder, of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, James left home in 1945, at age 17, to join the Merchant Marines, where he made several trips on Victory Ships traveling to war decimated Poland, delivering livestock. Afterwards, he attended Washington and Lee University from 1947 to 1951, majoring in Pre-Dentistry. He entered the USAF in 1952 as a commissioned Officer and served many tours in both Korea and Vietnam, flying the F100, F101, F4 and C130 airframes.

While stationed at Bunker Hill AFB, he met and married Virginia Lee Hammer of Kokomo, Indiana. She accompanied him on his many tours of duty both at home and overseas. They had one child, Lawrence Alan Snyder, born in 1964, while they were stationed at Hahn AFB, Germany. James is preceded in death by his younger brother (deceased 2008), Richard P. Snyder of Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

After serving 25 years in the Air Force, James retired and returned to Shalimar, Florida in January 1976, where they had been stationed from 1969 to 1970 at TAWC, Eglin AFB. He soon returned to college at the University Of West Florida where he received a BS in Management (Magna Cum Laude) and attended the MBA Program. After graduation, he was employed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors from 1979 to 1992. He then enjoyed many happy years with his grandchildren, Peyton and namesake Jack. He was a member of the Fort Walton Beach Golf Course where he played many rounds of golf with friends.

Lieutenant Colonel Snyder was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity at Washington and Lee University, elected to the National Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi after graduation from University of West Florida and was a Kentucky Colonel appointed by Kentucky Governor Ford in 1953. He was a member of many other professional organizations as well.

He is survived by his son Larry and daughter-in-law Roslyn of Blue Water Bay, his adored grandchildren, Peyton Snyder Daley and her husband Dan, his namesake James Alan (Jack) Snyder Il, and his new great-grandchild of 2 months, Charlotte Roslyn Daley.

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