W. Clifford Snyder

W. Clifford Snyder, 86, of Gettysburg, died Thursday, October 11, 2012, at Gettysburg Lutheran Retirement Village. He resided for most of his life in New York City. A professional musician for more than 60 years, his last position prior to retirement was as organist of The Church of the Blessed Sacrament at 71st and Broadway in New York City for over 40 years. A native of York Springs, Cliff graduated from York Springs High School. He held a B.A. in music, with distinction, from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., as well as bachelor's and master'sdegrees from The Julliard School in New York, but his music education began closer to home. He first studied voice in 1943 with Ethel DeNemeth of York Springs, formerly of the Dresden Opera Company in Germany, and he began his study of piano with Edna Hershey Smith of York Springs and Lee Cronican and DeWitt Waters, both of Harrisburg. An accomplished baritone and operatic heldentenor, Cliff was twice a first prize winner of the Music Education League of New York and a holder of the Caruso Prize from the New York Federation of Music Clubs, as well as the 1955 baritone winner of the Concert Artists Guild competition. That year, he gave a recital in Christ Chapel, Gettysburg College, for the benefit of the Adams County Free Library Building Fund. He launched his professional singing career with his performance of the "St. John Passion" during the Winter Park Bach Festival in Florida. He appeared with the Rochester Civic Orchestra, the New Haven Symphony, the New Jersey Opera Festival, and on NBC. During his long career in music, he performed as a vocalist, piano accompanist, organist, choirmaster, and music director. He became an artists and repertoire producer for Columbia Records, where he was responsible for research, production and editing for labels including Epic, Okeh, Perfect, and Alpine. He also was a record producer for Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. A U.S. Army veteran of the Battle of Okinawa during WW II, Cliff volunteered as a machine-gunner, a choice that saved his life, he said, because at 6 feet, 7 inches in height, he was "kind of tall to be running around with guns." He later became a chaplain's assistant, first in the Philippines and later in Japan with the U.S. occupation forces. While there, he developed a friendship with the head of the music department at a Japanese women's college, where Cliff volunteered and brought GIs to add male voices to the choir. He observed that such interaction helped, on a small scale, to assuage the fear of Americans held by Japanese civilians. The youngest of six children, Cliff was preceded in death by his parents, Levi Spencer and Zoe Emma Neely Snyder; four sisters, Louise Cowan, Ruth Howe, Marguerite Stough, and Jeannette Stambaugh; and one brother, Clay "Bill" Snyder. He also was preceded in death by his lifelong companion, Dr. George Grimm. Cliff is survived by nieces Carolyn Lott, Anna Mae Cook, Cheryl Dee Wells, Emme Stock, Zoe Ellen O'Brien and Helen Townsend, and by nephews Donald Snyder, Robert Howe, and John Howe, as well as by many great and great-great nieces and nephews. Professional services are entrusted to Dugan Funeral Home, Inc., Bendersville. At the request of the deceased, no public or private services will be held. If you wish to honor Cliff's memory, please donate to a favorite charity.