March 21, 2021
March 21, 2021
Paul (Wilfred) Snider
June 22, 1931 - July 21, 2019
Our beloved Paul (Wilfred) Snider, 88, of Naperville, Il, peacefully left his body on Sunday 7/21/19, and is on to his next great adventure. He was ready and knew he wasn’t going to beat this one. He was surrounded by loving family at home, where he wanted to be, when he began his journey to the stars. He was thankful for his long, full life and the joy of many years of being close to his children and grandchildren as they blossomed, and matured.
He told his wife Mary a few days before he died "I'm going;" she asked, "Where are you going?" Dad replied: "Somewhere really nice." He and Mary, his “partner in all things” would celebrate 60 years of marriage this New Year’s Eve. He lived every minute of his life fully - an explorer, adventurer, philosopher, author, leader, spiritual pioneer, combat veteran, child of God and a proud Cameron highlander.
He was the most dependable man in the world, the toughest man, the sweetest man. The best listener. The man behind our humor, spirituality, loyalty, and resilience. The man who saw us all for who we are. The man who saw the sparkle in every one of us, told us, and made us only sparkle brighter. The man who taught us to take darkness and turn it into light. Who taught us “wisdom is common sense to an uncommon degree.” He lived the Cameron Clan motto of “Unity.” He was wise, funny, profoundly loving and fearless in the face of adversity. We love you forever Dad, Grandpa. We will always feel you smiling above us.
Paul was born in 1931 and grew up in the back streets and alleyways of Detroit and, alternately, on an apple farm near Georgian Bay, Ontario. He moved 15 times before he was 12 years old. His religious life was often checkered, with patches of light and shadow. When US troops were being sent to Korea in 1951, Paul readily enlisted. He never conceived of waiting for the draft, and was proud to be “RA” – Regular Army. After completing Paratrooper jump school at Fort Benning, GA, Paul was assigned to the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, 15th Infantry Regiment, rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant. When he arrived in Korea late in 1952 he was a “1745” or a Light Weapons Infantry Leader, and stationed on the Main Line of Resistance (MLR) with George Company. During the Korean War he was what has been described as “an atheist in a foxhole.” Nevertheless, he survived the war, including the successful and final battle to hold Outpost Harry, with two purple hearts. Years later he learned he was not an atheist at all.
A born explorer, his curiosity drove him to learn about people, places, religions, God, politics, leadership, nature, and the soul. Over his lifetime as he grew to love God deeply, Paul’s faith was, as he described, ‘a daring voyage on the high seas of uncertainty…” he lived this voyage with courage and gusto. The memorable stories he told in his warm voice are embedded in our minds forever.
Paul lived in Michigan, Ontario, Chicago, New Jersey, New York, Mexico, Korea, Seattle, Naperville, Evanston and Wilmette; attended Northwestern University, Columbia University and Goddard College, and graduated from Goddard with a degree in Philosophy. A scholar of the Urantia teachings for over 50 years, he served as President of the Urantia Brotherhood and was a member of the Glenview Urantia Society. He enjoyed a long professional career with Columbia University, Western Electric, the American Management Association and Hewitt Associates (21 years), eventually establishing Jemenon, a publishing company, to publish books of eternal value. With determination, Paul published four books in the last two years of his life as he reached his 88th birthday in June.
He met his future wife, the love of his life, at a party in his New York City home. They began their journey together hiking, camping, exploring the world together, and married in 1960. With Mary, beautiful, smart, passionate and loyal, as independent as he was, he showed their children and grandchildren that two strong people could live and love together, create a bigger circle and grow good humans within it. They raised their 7 children together, and are utterly blessed by every one of them, their wonderful grandchildren and the spouses who joined them along the way. Through their adventurous partnership they inspired their children and grandchildren to engage in a personal relationship with God, without force. They opened doors, unique to our journeys, weaving God’s spectacular possibilities throughout our DNA. Each of us has come to God in our own way.
Paul touched people’s hearts through the fruits of his spirit - in management, spirit, politics, medicine, nature and the neighborhoods he and his family traveled. When he slipped away it was no surprise that loving prayers rose spontaneously from many communities from afar, from the Urantia community to a Tibetan Buddhist temple; to those of Catholic nuns, local places of worship, family, friends and caregivers; to prayers set at a First Nations sweat lodge among physicians and students on retreat in the Cascade mountains.
Paul is the cherished grandson of Kenneth and Josephine Cameron (nee McDowell) and firstborn of Edward Snider and Grace Cameron; loving stepson of Jesse Snider and George Linley, treasured brother of Carol, Avis and Joan Snider, beloved husband and partner of his wife Mary (Opperman), adored by his children, grandchildren, in laws, nieces and nephews: his 7 children and their spouses Pamela (Bruce Milliman), Debbie Witkowski, Jim (Kimberly Crandall), Sue (Doug Seccombe), Cayce, Josh (Carol Wente) and Jason; and his 14 grandchildren Jeremy, Joseph, Mimi, Khidr, Dashiell, Jonah, Evan, Ben, Lauren, Ryan, Becca, Erin, Alex, and Jackson. His dearest friends including Steve and Bobbie Drier and John and Suzy Hales, who shared his earth travels wish him blessings and alacrity on his next undertakings .
We are all especially grateful to Mom, Cayce, Sue and Claudia for their loving care of Dad, and, while we truly celebrate his graduation, we will all tell stories, corny jokes, and miss him with all our hearts, until we’re together again.
Paul’s Graduation Party was held on September 1, 2019 in Lisle, Il at the Morton Arboretum from 11 AM to 3 PM. As Gus (Robert Duvall) stated to Woodrow (Tommy Lee Jones) in the movie Lonesome Dove, on the brink of his departure from this world: “It was some party, ‘ey Woodrow?” Yes, it sure was.
SHIFTING THE SUN
When your father dies, say the Irish
you lose your umbrella against bad weather.
May his sun be your light, say the Armenians.
When your father dies, say the Welsh
you sink a foot deeper into the earth.
May you inherit his light, say the Armenians
When your father dies, say the Canadians
you run out of excuses.
May you inherit his sun, say the Armenians.
When your father dies, say the Indians
he comes back as the thunder.
May you inherit his light, say the Armenians.
When your father dies, say the Russians,
he takes your childhood with him.
May you inherit his light say the Armenians.
When your father dies, say the British,
you join his club you vowed you wouldn’t.
May you inherit his sun, say the Armenians.
When your father dies, say the Armenians,
your sun shifts forever
and you walk in his light
- Diana Der-Hovanessian
June 22, 1931 - July 21, 2019
Our beloved Paul (Wilfred) Snider, 88, of Naperville, Il, peacefully left his body on Sunday 7/21/19, and is on to his next great adventure. He was ready and knew he wasn’t going to beat this one. He was surrounded by loving family at home, where he wanted to be, when he began his journey to the stars. He was thankful for his long, full life and the joy of many years of being close to his children and grandchildren as they blossomed, and matured.
He told his wife Mary a few days before he died "I'm going;" she asked, "Where are you going?" Dad replied: "Somewhere really nice." He and Mary, his “partner in all things” would celebrate 60 years of marriage this New Year’s Eve. He lived every minute of his life fully - an explorer, adventurer, philosopher, author, leader, spiritual pioneer, combat veteran, child of God and a proud Cameron highlander.
He was the most dependable man in the world, the toughest man, the sweetest man. The best listener. The man behind our humor, spirituality, loyalty, and resilience. The man who saw us all for who we are. The man who saw the sparkle in every one of us, told us, and made us only sparkle brighter. The man who taught us to take darkness and turn it into light. Who taught us “wisdom is common sense to an uncommon degree.” He lived the Cameron Clan motto of “Unity.” He was wise, funny, profoundly loving and fearless in the face of adversity. We love you forever Dad, Grandpa. We will always feel you smiling above us.
Paul was born in 1931 and grew up in the back streets and alleyways of Detroit and, alternately, on an apple farm near Georgian Bay, Ontario. He moved 15 times before he was 12 years old. His religious life was often checkered, with patches of light and shadow. When US troops were being sent to Korea in 1951, Paul readily enlisted. He never conceived of waiting for the draft, and was proud to be “RA” – Regular Army. After completing Paratrooper jump school at Fort Benning, GA, Paul was assigned to the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, 15th Infantry Regiment, rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant. When he arrived in Korea late in 1952 he was a “1745” or a Light Weapons Infantry Leader, and stationed on the Main Line of Resistance (MLR) with George Company. During the Korean War he was what has been described as “an atheist in a foxhole.” Nevertheless, he survived the war, including the successful and final battle to hold Outpost Harry, with two purple hearts. Years later he learned he was not an atheist at all.
A born explorer, his curiosity drove him to learn about people, places, religions, God, politics, leadership, nature, and the soul. Over his lifetime as he grew to love God deeply, Paul’s faith was, as he described, ‘a daring voyage on the high seas of uncertainty…” he lived this voyage with courage and gusto. The memorable stories he told in his warm voice are embedded in our minds forever.
Paul lived in Michigan, Ontario, Chicago, New Jersey, New York, Mexico, Korea, Seattle, Naperville, Evanston and Wilmette; attended Northwestern University, Columbia University and Goddard College, and graduated from Goddard with a degree in Philosophy. A scholar of the Urantia teachings for over 50 years, he served as President of the Urantia Brotherhood and was a member of the Glenview Urantia Society. He enjoyed a long professional career with Columbia University, Western Electric, the American Management Association and Hewitt Associates (21 years), eventually establishing Jemenon, a publishing company, to publish books of eternal value. With determination, Paul published four books in the last two years of his life as he reached his 88th birthday in June.
He met his future wife, the love of his life, at a party in his New York City home. They began their journey together hiking, camping, exploring the world together, and married in 1960. With Mary, beautiful, smart, passionate and loyal, as independent as he was, he showed their children and grandchildren that two strong people could live and love together, create a bigger circle and grow good humans within it. They raised their 7 children together, and are utterly blessed by every one of them, their wonderful grandchildren and the spouses who joined them along the way. Through their adventurous partnership they inspired their children and grandchildren to engage in a personal relationship with God, without force. They opened doors, unique to our journeys, weaving God’s spectacular possibilities throughout our DNA. Each of us has come to God in our own way.
Paul touched people’s hearts through the fruits of his spirit - in management, spirit, politics, medicine, nature and the neighborhoods he and his family traveled. When he slipped away it was no surprise that loving prayers rose spontaneously from many communities from afar, from the Urantia community to a Tibetan Buddhist temple; to those of Catholic nuns, local places of worship, family, friends and caregivers; to prayers set at a First Nations sweat lodge among physicians and students on retreat in the Cascade mountains.
Paul is the cherished grandson of Kenneth and Josephine Cameron (nee McDowell) and firstborn of Edward Snider and Grace Cameron; loving stepson of Jesse Snider and George Linley, treasured brother of Carol, Avis and Joan Snider, beloved husband and partner of his wife Mary (Opperman), adored by his children, grandchildren, in laws, nieces and nephews: his 7 children and their spouses Pamela (Bruce Milliman), Debbie Witkowski, Jim (Kimberly Crandall), Sue (Doug Seccombe), Cayce, Josh (Carol Wente) and Jason; and his 14 grandchildren Jeremy, Joseph, Mimi, Khidr, Dashiell, Jonah, Evan, Ben, Lauren, Ryan, Becca, Erin, Alex, and Jackson. His dearest friends including Steve and Bobbie Drier and John and Suzy Hales, who shared his earth travels wish him blessings and alacrity on his next undertakings .
We are all especially grateful to Mom, Cayce, Sue and Claudia for their loving care of Dad, and, while we truly celebrate his graduation, we will all tell stories, corny jokes, and miss him with all our hearts, until we’re together again.
Paul’s Graduation Party was held on September 1, 2019 in Lisle, Il at the Morton Arboretum from 11 AM to 3 PM. As Gus (Robert Duvall) stated to Woodrow (Tommy Lee Jones) in the movie Lonesome Dove, on the brink of his departure from this world: “It was some party, ‘ey Woodrow?” Yes, it sure was.
SHIFTING THE SUN
When your father dies, say the Irish
you lose your umbrella against bad weather.
May his sun be your light, say the Armenians.
When your father dies, say the Welsh
you sink a foot deeper into the earth.
May you inherit his light, say the Armenians
When your father dies, say the Canadians
you run out of excuses.
May you inherit his sun, say the Armenians.
When your father dies, say the Indians
he comes back as the thunder.
May you inherit his light, say the Armenians.
When your father dies, say the Russians,
he takes your childhood with him.
May you inherit his light say the Armenians.
When your father dies, say the British,
you join his club you vowed you wouldn’t.
May you inherit his sun, say the Armenians.
When your father dies, say the Armenians,
your sun shifts forever
and you walk in his light
- Diana Der-Hovanessian
