Helen Jane Snider

Helen Jane Snider, age 91, died Tuesday, February 11, 2014 in Rancho Mirage. Helen was born on October 3, 1922 in Stillwater, Oklahoma to Tura and Ralph Boyd. Her dad was a carpenter and contractor and built the house in which Helen and her sisters Nell, Janet, Billie, and brother Hollis were raised. She had many fond memories of growing up in a small college town. After graduating from business college in Oklahoma City, Helen worked for Phillips Petroleum in Bartlesville, Oklahomaand Borger, Texas. She was recruited by the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service in 1945. After training in Washington, D.C., Helen was assigned as a head cryptographer at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid. In 1947, she became the vice consul at the Embassy. She met her husband Clyde William Snider, a Foreign Service Officer and WWII combat veteran, in Madrid. They were married in 1947 at the Angelican church in Tangier, Spanish Morocco. Many challenging Foreign Service postings for Helen and Clyde followed. The Netherlands, Indonesia, Romania, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Okinawa and Honduras followed as well a Washington, D.C. assignment. Amidst all the packing and unpacking, Helen kept busy raising four children, volunteering and golfing. She worked at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City as a protocol assistant during the Olympic Games. Helen and Clyde retired to the Coachella Valley in 1975. They were among the first homeowners and golf club members at Sunrise Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Helen worked part time at Sunrise, the Palm Springs Desert Museum, and the College of the Desert. She was a charter member of the COD Alumni Association and served on its board. She joined the Rancho Mirage Women's Club in 1976 and was president from 1991 to 1992. She volunteered at the Children's Discovery Museum from 1989 to 2011 where she greeted many visitors, young and old. She was known for her love of children, boundless energy and kindness to all those close to her. Helen is preceded in death by her siblings and, in 1994, her husband of 47 years. She is survived by four children, Peg (Rancho Mirage, CA), Marty (El Centro, Calif.), Ray (Reykjavik, Iceland), and Clyde Jr. (San Rafael Calif.); and sis grandsons. A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 at 12:00 p.m. in the Ramon Chapel at Forest Lawn Memorial Park and Mortuary, 69855 E. Ramon Rd., Cathedral City, with a private family interment. In lieu of Flowers, Helen wished that contributions be made to the Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert, Rancho Mirage.
Forest Lawn Memorial Parks and Mortuaries.