Bob Snyder

Robert “Bob” Snyder, 91, of Mason City, passed away peacefully Saturday, May 24, 2025, at the Good Shepherd Health Center in Mason City. A memorial service will be held Thursday, June 12, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., at First Presbyterian Church, 100 S. Pierce Ave., Mason City, with Rev. Dr. Kip Murphy officiating. A visitation will be held Wednesday, June 11, 2025, from 5-7 p.m. at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N Pennsylvania Ave., Mason City. Inurnment will be held in the Resthaven Cemetery in Des Moines at a later date. Memorials may be directed to the Mason City Community Theatre, One Vision, Una Vocis Choral Ensemble, or First Presbyterian Church.

Robert Reed Snyder “Bob” was born July 21, 1933, in Des Moines. Bob was the son of Reed Emerson Snyder and Alberta Ruth Crozier. He was a graduate of Roosevelt High School in 1951, and Drake University in 1955 where he was also a member of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity. He was a member of the US Army from 1955-1963, serving on Governor’s Island in NYC from 1955-1957. After returning from NYC, he transferred to the Army Reserves, worked at WHO television where his father was chief engineer, and attended and graduated from Drake Law School. He married Jeannie Onthank on April 15, 1960, at Central Presbyterian Church in Des Moines. They were happily married for 53 years until her death in 2013. He worked at Central National Bank and Trust in the trust department and then at the G. W. Onthank Co. (his father-in-law’s business) where he ended up serving as Vice President and Treasurer until his retirement in 2008. He and Jeannie were members of Central Presbyterian Church for many years, and he was currently a member of First Presbyterian Church in Mason City.

Bob found love again during the last 10 years of his life with Yvonne Addis. Together, they relished travel, music, theatre, and the joys of each day. Her children and grandchildren became his second family.

As a young man, Bob was a talented athlete, excelling at track and football at Roosevelt High School. As an adult, he loved sailing, fishing, and pheasant hunting. He also enjoyed many fishing trips to Canada with friends and family.

Bob had many hobbies and interests. He absolutely loved airplanes. At a young age, he became a prolific model builder; something he enjoyed all his life and into his final years. Modeling showcased his impressive artistic skills, including drawing and painting. He also had a great love for music, theater (including musicals), film, and opera; a love he shared with his sister-in-law, Dorie Fisher. During his time in NYC in the Army, he even enjoyed getting to see many Broadway plays at a great discount! Bob loved performing as well, including roles in musicals (Brigadoon), singing with the choral group Una Vocis, and performing with the Mason City Community Theater (The Laramie Project, Mary’s Team, and the Carol Burnett Tribute Show). In addition, he won the Best Dancer Award in the ‘80s at the Junior League Follies in Des Moines. He and Jeannie also sang in the church choir for many years at Central Presbyterian in Des Moines, and he served for several years on the Board of Directors for the Des Moines Symphony and the Youth Chorus.

Many people also recognized Bob’s love for and knowledge of history; especially military and Civil War history. At Lifelong Learning classes about various wars, he often raised his hand to fill in holes left by the instructors. He enjoyed several visits to Civil War sites over the years; and it wasn’t unusual for him to know more about the sites than people who lived in the nearby areas.

In addition, Bob loved Clear Lake where he and Jeannie summered for many years with their family—eventually making it their permanent home shortly before Jeannie’s death. He loved to sail his homemade sailfish, and in later years, enjoyed RC sailboat racing with Jeannie. Always the skillful handyman, he could usually be found fixing or adjusting something around the house, in the boats, and out on the dock. Bob and Jeannie especially loved the close friends they made at Clear Lake over the years.

A kind and loving parent to his three sons, Bob was never too busy to spend a few minutes roughhousing in a variety of games he made up. If toys were broken in rough play, he came up with creative ways to repair them (fixing destroyed GI Joes with coat hanger “joint replacements”). He dearly loved his grandchildren, his sons’ spouses, and Yvonne’s daughters and grandchildren. His capacity for love was unending and unwavering—and his generosity of spirit was something that touched and blessed us all every day that he was here on this earth with us.

He is survived by his three sons, Steve (Louise Cragg), Reed (Jennifer Montilino), and Andy (Jeff Staebell); grandchildren Will, Kate, Dan, and Gaby; sister-in-law Dorie Fisher; and partner Yvonne Addis, her daughters Jenny Kelchen (Craig) and Erin Caster (Nick), and grandchildren Millie and Clara Kelchen and James and Ben Caster.

Bob was preceded in death by both of his parents, his wife, Jeannie, his sisters, Barbara Ruth Snyder and Marjorie Anne (Snyder) Hier, and brothers-in-law Percy J. Hier and David J. Fisher

Arrangements are with Major Erickson Funeral Home & Crematory in Mason City.®