SR1103 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1103 LRB096 24564 KXB 44385 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Bruce "Skip" Snyder of Peoria, who passed away on December 6, 2010; and

WHEREAS, Bruce "Skip" Snyder was the executive vice president of First of America National Bank, served as founding executive director of the Riverfront Development Corporation, chaired the Heart of Illinois United Way and its fund drives on two occasions, and stepped in briefly to head the Lakeview Museum; and

WHEREAS, He was born July 12, 1938, in Peoria to Frank and Grace Snyder; he graduated from Peoria High School in 1956, serving as student council vice president; he graduated from Dartmouth College in 1960 and earned his MBA from Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business in 1961; on September 9, 1961, he married Sarah "Sally" Page; and

WHEREAS, After finishing college, he served as a lieutenant in the United States Army, then worked for Proctor & Gamble before taking a position in Peoria at Commercial National Bank; in 1972, he was named vice president in charge of the estate and trust division; he became senior vice president in 1975 and executive vice president in 1984 and was elected to the board of directors in 1985; he continued as executive vice president after First of America bought the bank and served in that position until 1995, when he retired; and

WHEREAS, Within 10 days of retirement, he was a consult to Peoria's fledgling riverfront development efforts; he became executive director of the Riverfront Development Corporation as it raised funds to turn a patch of weeds and parking lots into an attraction that would help residents enjoy the area's singular natural resource; and

WHEREAS, His community involvement began in 1966 as a founding member of Y-GUYS, which recruited young businessmen to counsel, mentor, and provide scholarships for boys to become Y members; he also served as vice president and a board member of Planned Parenthood of Peoria, on the board of directors of Prospect National Bank, on Peoria's Fair Housing Commission, on St. Francis Hospital's community advisory board for more than 30 years, and as president of the Downtown Rotary Club of Peoria; and

WHEREAS, In the late 1970s he was on a statewide task force that studied Illinois public employee pensions; he was a member of First Baptist Church of Peoria, serving in numerous capacities, including the board of trustees; among his community activities, he was particularly passionate about the Lakeview Museum and the Heart of Illinois United Way; he was a Lakeview Museum trustee in the 1970s, served as the Lakeview Museum's interim director in 1998, and championed the Peoria Riverfront Museum; and

WHEREAS, He served as United Way president in 1984 and chaired its annual campaign in 1986 and 1996; in 1990 he headed a study that examined human service needs in the Peoria area; he was recognized statewide and nationally by United Way for his leadership and generosity; he enjoyed tennis and golf and was a member of the Country Club of Peoria, where he served as president and on the governing board; and

WHEREAS, Bruce Snyder is survived by his wife; his daughters, Sarah (Russ) Morris, Susan (Bill) Traver, Sandy (Jeff) Dickison, and Debbie (Steve) Lawrence; his mother-in-law, Sarah "Sally" Page; and his grandchildren, Jenni, Will, and Nicholas Traver, Page and Courtney Dickison, and Kelly and Eric Lawrence; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Bruce Snyder; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Bruce Snyder as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.