David "Deputy Dog" Snyder

David “Deputy Dog” Snyder passed away peacefully on 10-10-2021 at the age of 76 while surrounded by his loving family and friends. He battled serious medical conditions in recent years due to his exposure to Agent Orange while serving his country in Vietnam, and although he did not die in Vietnam, the poisons he was exposed to there caught up with him in the final years of his life in the form of Parkinson’s disease and lastly a major stroke. Despite his medical setbacks, he always remained happy and never lost his great sense of humor that he was so well known for. He graduated from Springfield Local High School in 1964 and grew up in Petersburgh, Ohio. David was a long-time member of the Canfield Presbyterian Church.
David lived a distinguished life which was full of accomplishments and adventure. His passions included flying his personal airplane and photography. He formerly owned a photography studio in Youngstown, Portrait Gallery and Video, and he was a member of the PPA (Professional Photographers of America). He truly enjoyed capturing his customer’s special moments on film for them to be remembered. His hobbies included riding his Honda motorcycle, volunteering at the Buckeye Horse Park, riding horses, scuba diving, boating, flying airplanes, downhill skiing, and hunting. A perfect day for him was riding his motorcycle to Peaberry’s Café and sitting down with his many friends there while enjoying a coffee and a sugar cookie. Most important to him above all else though, was his family and his dog Hank. He was a loving father and his children meant the world to him.
David served his country with honor in Vietnam in the Army’s 577th Combat Engineer Battalion and was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart. His years of service were from 1965-1967 and he saw heavy combat during this time. Although he left Vietnam, Vietnam never left him, and he spent his remaining years as a disabled veteran.
He retired at age 66 from Republic Steel and McDonald steel where he was a millwright and electrician. In addition to this, he was a volunteer firefighter with the Springfield Township and Beaver Township fire departments from 1971-1978 and an EMT on the ambulance squad. He also worked for the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department as their Chief Pilot, Scuba Diver and as a mounted deputy on horseback.
He is preceded in death by his mother Frances Snyder, his father Milton Snyder, and his 3 brothers, Earl, Milton Jr., and Richard. He is survived by his daughter Corinne (Jason) Fiehler, his son Chris (Amy) Snyder, his granddaughter Amelia Snyder, his niece Frances (David) Wills, his nephew Wesley (Caitlin) Snyder, his cousin Cindy (Richard) Mischell, and his caretaker Karen Farley.
Friends may call on Wednesday from 4-6 pm at Canfield Presbyterian Church, 140 West Main Street, Canfield, followed by a funeral service at 6:00 p.m. The committal service will be 11:00 a.m. at Petersburg Cemetery, followed by military honors.
And Dad, I know how you always liked to check the obituary’s daily and jokingly remark “just checking to see if my name is listed”, well… today is finally that day.