Douglas Shannon Snider: 1944-2024

It is with heavy hearts that we share that, on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, Douglas Shannon "Doug" Snider passed away at the age of 79 while boating with his wife.

Doug was born on Oct. 27, 1944, in Colorado Springs, Colo., to John and Elsie Snider. The family moved to Medford, Ore., a year later. After graduating from Saint Mary's School, he attended the University of Notre Dame where he received a degree in architecture. Shortly afterwards, he entered the Navy where he spent the next four years.

During this time, he met Patti and the two dated for the five years during which he was deployed to Adak, Alaska, Vietnam and the Philippines. When he left the Navy, he moved to Italy for 6 months where he worked as an architecture apprentice in both Alba and Torino. Patti and Doug parted ways shortly after he returned to Medford from Italy and began his career as an architect.

Doug met and married his first wife, Carol, in 1973. Doug and Carol had three sons and two grandsons. Doug's practice as an architect primarily focused on designing hospital facilities and schools. The Francis Cheney Family Place (Medford) and the Mario Pastega House (Corvallis), both provide home-like settings for families to live while their loved ones receive long-term and specialized care at adjacent hospitals. Doug also designed the Smullin Health Education Center at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, and two Medford schools: Abraham Lincoln Elementary and the high school expansion at Saint Mary's School. All of these designs are testament to Doug's desire to enhance the spaces in which educators from all sectors can better engage with their community.

As a father, Doug taught his sons to be strong, curious and capable individuals. He spent many summers with his family at Howard Prairie wandering the shores for arrowheads and sowing reverence for nature into his sons. Beyond immediate family, he continued to build the sister city relationship between Alba, Italy, and Medford, Ore., a sister-city connection his father John first established 63 years ago while mayor of Medford. Doug's appreciation for Italian culture, unique ability to speak the language fluently, and love for the friends he made throughout his 10 visits to Alba helped foster relationships which will long continue.

In 2014, the mother of Doug's children and his first wife, Carol, passed away unexpectedly. During the difficult time that followed, Doug reconnected with a familiar voice from the past who had once shared his heart, Patti. They rekindled the relationship from many years before and found themselves in love. In 2016, Doug moved to La Conner, where the two married and embarked on a new life journey together. 

Doug and Patti bought their first boat a few days after their wedding and began exploring the San Juan Islands together. After an automobile accident resulted in loss of most of the function of Patti's right hand, they sold their first boat and began designing a more accessible boat that the two could use for decades. To commemorate the city in which half his heart lived, they named the boat Alba Bella. Doug and Patti spent the next two years traveling on expeditions through the San Juans with the Shelter Bay Yacht Club, a group in which Doug played a critical role in helping organize.

Doug died while doing what he loved – boating – with who he loved – Patti. He touched the lives of so many people over the years: as a father, husband, architect and community member. He will be sorely missed by all of us.

Doug is preceded in death by his first wife, Carol (Heuners) Snider, and his son, Todd Snider. He is survived by his second wife, Patricia (Elston) Snider, his sons Ryan Snider (Jaime) and Sean Snider (Alayna), and his grandsons Zachary Snider and Josh Snider. He is also survived by his brother John Snider (Candy), sister Mary Ann Edelstein (Dan), and Italian brother Giuseppe "Pino" Dutto.

A Celebration of Life for Doug will be held at the Shelter Bay Clubhouse at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5. To share a memory of Doug, visit www.­kernfuneralhome.com/obituaries/obituary-listings.