On April 2, 2025, Captain Ronald W. Snyder passed away unexpectedly after a fall. But like any good sea story, you must start at the beginning. Captain Ron was born in Bangor, Maine, Nov. 6, 1950, the son of Clarence and Patricia Snyder. His father was a Navy Seabee, master tradesman, and lifelong builder who oversaw school maintenance and built homes for his family by hand.

Captain Ron grew up in a big family and was one of three sons to attend Maine Maritime Academy. He went on to become a licensed Master Mariner – one of the few who could command any vessel, in any waters. He married the love of his life, Kathy, and together they raised four children, whom he helped mold into strong captains of their own families.

Captain Ron’s career was long and varied. He sailed all over the world, taught for a few years at MMA, and eventually became a lightering captain – transferring crude oil from supertankers to smaller ships just offshore. It was risky work, precise and delicate, and it required a steady hand and an unshakable sense of calm. He had both. His crew respected him not because he demanded it, but because he earned it. He retired with countless sea miles, and coasts visited.

But he was more than his title. Captain Ron was a beautifully complex man – sharp-witted and dry-humored, with a big smile, a sparkle in his green eyes, and a deep sense of loyalty. He loved to tell sea stories, and they weren’t just tales to pass the time. They were lessons, parables, bits of wisdom wrapped in salt and sea spray. If you listened closely, you’d find the whole of him in those stories – the sailor, the philosopher, the survivor, and the soft-hearted man beneath the weathered exterior. He was honest, always, and unapologetic. And kind, though not in the soft way. In the way that made you better without realizing it. He believed in work. He believed in family. He believed in staying until the job was done and doing that job well.

He was a grandfather, a father, a husband, and a friend. He was a man who loved Maine. He loved ice fishing, golf, Red Sox games in his recliner in front of the biggest TV, and growing crops in a small plot in the back field. He loved being still, even though he spent much of his life in motion. He loved looking at the stars and always wanted to know where he was headed. That’s what made him a good captain.

In his later years, he slowed down, but he never stopped. He told stories. He spent time with his grandkids, who brought out his softer side. He learned how to bake cookies, and banana bread that always had nuts, even though no one liked nuts. He took care of the land, puttered around on his tractor, and made his way through the seasons like he once navigated the waters. Purposefully, with humor, and a quiet earned pride. Captain Ron made an impression everywhere he went. Not with flash or noise, but with depth. With presence. With decency. With resolve in every circumstance. He approached life the way he approached the sea – with reverence, resilience, and, like all sea captains made in rough water and deep seas, his eyes intently focused on the horizon. He always wanted to see the stars and what was ahead of him. He will be deeply missed.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 45 years, Katherine Snyder; his children, Nicholas Snyder and his wife, Windy, of Brunswick, ME, and their daughters, Alice and Rose; Bryan Snyder and his partner, Jessica Kloss, of Mt. Holly, NJ, and their children, Bryan, Morgan, Emma, and Madeline; Sean Snyder and his wife, Melissa, of Brooklyn, NY, and their daughter, Reese; and Emily Webster and her husband, Michael, of Cumberland, ME, and their sons, Henry and Caleb. Ron is also survived by his siblings, Clarence Snyder III and his wife, Jane, of Brookfield, MA, Lewis Snyder and his wife, Debra of Palmyra, PA, Beth Smart and her husband, Tim, of Ellsworth, ME, and Jeffery Snyder of Ellsworth, ME. He is lovingly remembered by Katherine’s family as well: Mary Halsey of Gorham, ME, Philip and Cynthia Ward of Lexington, OH, and Willis and Catherine Ward of Paris, France. He was a proud uncle to many nieces and nephews on both sides of the family, each of whom brought him great joy over the years. He will be deeply missed by his close friends, Mike Kelley, Tom Davis, Tom Whited, and John Kirkpatrick.

A celebration of life will occur this summer at Branch Lake, which held a special place in his heart. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Captain Ron’s memory to Maine Maritime Academy Advancement Office, 1 Pleasant St., Castine, ME 04420 or at mainemaritime.edu/giving. Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com.