Roberta "Bobbie" Snyder

Those who knew and loved Roberta Bobbie Snyder have so many wonderful memories that will never be forgotten. The common threads throughout her lifes journey were her thoughtful words, her selfless deeds, and her compassionate spirit, but it was her amazing heart that knew no bounds that sets her apart from the rest. Through work and play, hardship and illness Bobbie never lost sight of the things that truly mattered. She simply adored her family and it was the moments she shared with those she loved that meant the world to her. Armed with little more than instinctive empathy and a big heart, Bobbie left the world a more beautiful, loving place than she found it. The 1950s marked a quieter, more stable time in American history. Families did much together and evenings were spent watching favorite television programs, like The Ed Sullivan Show or I Love Lucy. As Matchbox cars and Pez candy dispensers made their debut, manufacturing jobs were at an all time high. For Robert Bungart and his wife, Rita (Deschaine), of Jackson, Michigan, things changed rather quickly for their family as they welcomed the birth of their beautiful daughter, Roberta Jean, on May 4, 1957. Bobbie, as she was called, was the youngest of six children in her family; she had two brothers, John and Phillip, and three sisters, Anne, Christine and Mary. Her father supported their large family as a salesman for U.S. Gypsum and also played clarinet and saxophone in a big band, while her mother was a homemaker and sang in the band with her father. Bobbie enjoyed a typical childhood of the time, being a Brownie and Girl Scout, and she developed a lifelong love of music listening to her parents perform with the band. It was this passion that inspired Bobbie to learn to play the guitar later in life. Devout in their Catholic faith, the family was members of Queen of the Miraculous Medal Catholic Church in Jackson, where they attended Mass regularly, and Bobbie went through catechism class. She also attended the churchs elementary school, before going on to graduate from Lumen Christi Catholic High School in 1975. It was while in high school that Bobbie met Michael Skeet Snyder, who was a few years older than her and already out of school. The two fell in love and were married on September 10, 1977. Meanwhile, Bobbie enrolled in classes at the local college and became a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). During their first years of marriage, Bobbie and Skeet moved around a bit, living for a while in Lake Havasu, Arizona, where their two sons, Sean (1979) and Dustin (1982), were born. The family of four then moved back to Jackson, Michigan, before settling in a house on Little Brower Lake in nearby Rockford. In 1988, they added another bundle of joy to their family when they adopted their daughter, Sara Mattie, from an orphanage in Columbia, South America; she was 4 years old. As a family, Bobbie and Skeet did much with their children and enjoyed many memorable summers boating on the lake by their home. They also had a 28 foot cabin cruiser, which they kept docked in Grand Haven, that Bobbie and Skeet took cruising up and down the coast of Lake Michigan. There were many family trips to Florida too, where they stopped in at all the little beach towns, as well as Key West and Disney World. During the winter months, the family headed to their cabin up north to play around in the snow with some snowmobiling and skiing. Eventually, Bobbie decided to go back to school and earn her degree as a Registered Nurse, which meant Skeet and the kids spent a lot of time at Chuck E. Cheese so she could study in quiet. With her degree in hand, Bobbie went to work at St. Marys Hospital in Grand Rapids as a Floor Nurse and House Supervisor. Being a nurse came natural to Bobbie because she had such a compassionate heart and loved to help others. She was truly good at what she did. After a while, Bobbie and Skeet had a house built on Pettys Bayou in Grand Haven, where they moved with their kids. However, by 2007, they were empty nesters and decided to move to sunny Florida, since the warmer weather was better for Skeets health issues. Bobbie worked as a nurse in a prison, but after a few years they just didnt like it in Florida anymore and headed out west to the bustling city of Las Vegas. Here, Bobbie got a good job that paid really good money, and they lived comfortably while out there. With all the moving they had done over the years, traveling was in their blood, and Bobbie couldnt wait to head out on another trip. She had been to 48 of the 50 states, including Alaska, and even went overseas to Japan and Thailand. Bobbie loved many things in life, but nothing was more precious to her than her two grandsons, Brady and Spenser. Being a grandmother was the icing on the cake for Bobbie, and nothing made her happier than spending time with them, watching Disney movies together. She never let them leave without her telling them I love you to the moon and back. Luckily, even with all their moving around, Mattie and her boys followed Bobbie and Skeet so they could stay close as a family. Unfortunately, Bobbie and Skeet started to have some difficulties in their marriage and decided to split up, so she moved back to Grand Haven to be closer to family and friends. However, other challenges soon arose for Bobbie when she was diagnosed with brain cancer, and underwent surgery to remove the tumor. She was cancer free for a while, but because of the effects of the disease, Bobbie had to retire from nursing after 30 years. Sadly, the cancer eventually came back, and even though she fought it with various treatments, it was too far along to stop. In the last years, her son, Dustin, was a tremendous help to her, taking her to doctor appointments and taking care of her. Yet, even in her darkest moments, Bobbie was still out helping others. She enjoyed volunteering at the Noah Project, a no-kill animal shelter, and she cherished every single moment she could spend with her kids and grandkids. Friends and family will remember Bobbie not for the things she did, but for the reason she did them. Her presence in the world will be greatly missed, but the memories she created with her loved ones will always be remembered. Roberta "Bobbie" Jean Snyder, age 56, died on Sunday, April 20, 2014. She is survived by her sons, Sean Snyder of WA, Dustin Snyder of Grand Haven; daughter, Sara "Mattie" Snyder of Grand Haven; grandchildren, Brady & Spenser Schenck; brother, John (Kathleen) Bungart of AK; sisters, Anne Hill of Jackson, Christine Fryt of SC and Mary (Bud) Hess of SC; brothers-in-law, Todd, Chris and Brian Snyder; many close friends and great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, brother, Phillip, and former husband, Michael "Skeet" Snyder. Services will be on Saturday, May 3, 2014, at 11:00 a.m. at St. John's Cemetery in Jackson, MI with a reception following at the Ann Hill residence, 5340 Squires Manor, Jackson, MI 49201. Memorial contributions may be made to your Local Animal Shelter. Please visit www.clockfuneralhome.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.