Lloyd C Snider

Lloyd C. Snider died on December 28, 2012 after complications from a fall on December 18th. Lloyd was born on February 7, 1920, near Tahlequah and was the youngest child of John David and Victoria Jenny Snider. Lloyd was preceded in death by his parents and six siblings: Moses, Clarence, William (Bill) George Robert (Bus) Fred and Hazel. Lloyd was preceded in death by his wife Mildred in 2008 and is survived by one daughter Victoria, her husband Dr. Michael Ward, of Tulsa and his granddaughter, Professor Tori McKee of Edmond. Since Lloyd lost Midge in 2008 he doted on his loving companion, “Charm”, a small black poodle, who was referred to as “poppy's girl”. No human grieves his passing more than Charm. Lloyd attended high school in Okmulgee and met Mildred Lawhead, who would become his companion for life. Midge and Lloyd met at the Star Drug and had their first date on Thanksgiving Day, 1939. They were married on July 5, 1941 and things were going great until they left a movie one Sunday that December only to hear the news of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Lloyd enlisted in the Army Air Corp., (which was later renamed the United States Air Force) and was stationed in the Alaskan Aleutian islands. Lloyd remained in contact with the 58th Bomber Squadron and attended reunions yearly, with his passing only two of the airmen remain alive today. He said very little about being a veteran of World War II or being part of the “Greatest Generation” only that he was an honor to serve, and he really never gave it a second thought. Following the war, Lloyd went to work at Meadow View Dairy. Lloyd was an icon seen jumping out of his truck with four milk bottles in each hand. After the dairy closed Lloyd went to work for Rural Electric Co-Op and retired from there in 1985. Once Midge retired from First National Bank they moved to Tulsa to be close to their daughter and granddaughter and were highly involved in Tori’s life. Mildred and Lloyd were both members of the First Baptist Church and spent their retirement traveling, spending time with friends and family .He was so many different things to different people because he believed in the pursuit of knowledge and was an advocate for adapting and constantly growing as an individual. He loved having a cell phone, Sirius radio and watched his digital photo frame change throughout the day. Being a photographer himself, he loved pictures and his sweet memories of the past. Lloyd’s Cherokee heritage left him with a strong sense of mother earth and a responsibility to “save the planet”. In his way, he was ahead of his time. He believed it was our responsibility to feed the birds and help any poor animal in distress. It was his deep belief one of our most valuable gifts was to be able to read and was an avid reader. He read at least a book each week and always read the Tulsa World from the first page to the last; he loved reading “The Smithsonian”, “National Geographic”, Sports Illustrated and TIME. He had adapted to reading on his kindle as he believed E readers would save trees. Lloyd’s belief was reading was the best way he knew to become someone else for a little while. Whatever book he picked up became his transportation into another life or another place. Lloyd often commented that wonderful experiences began the moment he started reading books. In lieu of flowers the family kindly request you contribute to the Tulsa or Okmulgee Public Library, also any foundation that promotes reading for children. A celebratio of his life will be on Friday, January 4, 2013 at the McClendon-Winters Chapel at 2:00 pm. Dr. Dennis Taylor will officiate. Burial will be in the Okmulgee Cemetery.

Lloyd C Snider

February 7, 1920 - December 28, 2012