Obituaries

Susanne “Sue” Eberhardt Snyder

Susanne “Sue” Eberhardt Snyder, 65, of Newport News, passed away peacefully on May 5, 2021, surrounded by her loving husband and two sons.

Sue was born in Pennsylvania and attended Grove City College where she met her husband, Robert “Bob” Snyder. Following graduation, they married and relocated to Newport News. She spent the early years of her career working as an accountant at Lone Star Industries in Norfolk, VA while Bob was an engineer at Newport News Shipbuilding, recently retiring as a Master Shipbuilder after 43 years.

Before starting a family, Sue enjoyed crafting, traveling with Bob to visit loved ones, and camping along Skyline Drive. Once her sons arrived, Sue dove into motherhood, enjoying the adventure that comes with raising two boys. She attended endless soccer, baseball, and basketball games; volunteering to provide snacks, organize rides, and team dinners. She also volunteered in the boys’ schools, helping in the classroom and the library.

Hidenwood Presbyterian Church played a huge role in Sue’s life. She had a hand in most church activities, coordinating Vacation Bible School, organizing and teaching Sunday School, and planning youth dinners and activities. She also loved music and enjoyed choir and hand-bell practices, while the boys played hide-and-seek around the church.

In 1998, the family was rocked with Sue’s brain cancer diagnosis, a Stage 4 Glioblastoma Multiforme. She wasn’t satisfied with the 6-month prognosis and made the decision to enroll in a clinical trial at the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University Medical Center. Successfully defying the odds and the tumor, Sue cherished each additional day spent with family.

Over the following years, side effects from the tumor and treatment began to surface. Sue and her family, along with the support of loved ones, worked together to overcome the evolving challenges and make the most out of each day.

In her later years, Sue enjoyed playing dominoes and cards, and watching Hallmark movies. She was able to attend her sons’ graduations and support them as they established careers and start families of their own. She continued to participate in church activities, singing in the choir until just a few years ago. Her perseverance and dedication to her family led to 22.5 more years of memories than originally estimated in 1998.

Sue is survived by her husband, Bob; sons, Brian Snyder and his wife Jenny and their son Creighton, and Steven Snyder and his wife Stephanie Snyder-Mikoychik; her mother, Mary Eberhardt of Franklin Park, PA; and twin sister, Sandy Major of Papillion, NE. She is preceded in death by her father, John Eberhardt.

A graveside service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, May 14, 2021 at Peninsula Memorial Park, officiated by Pastor Charles Tucker. Guests can enter from the Nettles Drive entrance. Guests are required to wear a mask and maintain social distancing.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke, DUMC Box 3624, Durham, NC 27710 or Hidenwood Presbyterian Church, 414 Hiden Blvd., Newport News, VA 23606.

Arrangements are under the care of Peninsula Funeral Home, 11144 Warwick Blvd., Newport News, VA 23601.

 

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