In Memoriam of Dr. Gordon B. Snider
As many of you know, Dr. Gordon B. Snider passed away on October 7, 2024. We are saddened and heartbroken to have lost one of our “Founding Fathers.”
There would not be a FAIRHOPE Hospice & Palliative Care without this amazing man. He committed his life to seeing the needs in our community and addressing them. He used his expertise and passion in the medical field to find solutions while being committed to bettering our community and its residents. Not only did he help start FAIRHOPE, but he also recognized the need for an inpatient hospice facility and found a way to make The Pickering House a reality. He had a vision and inspired others around him to see it as well. Not only would I not be where I am, but our staff, patients, and families would not be where they are now. I can’t imagine Fairfield County without FAIRHOPE. And, as I process this monumental loss, I can’t imagine Fairfield County without Dr. Snider. His constant presence, guidance, and spirit live on in many, especially his beautiful and devoted family.
As we celebrated our 40th anniversary, I had the honor and privilege of sitting down and talking with several of the people who started FAIRHOPE. We lovingly called them our “Founding Fathers.”
Perhaps what strikes me most as I recall my experiences with Dr. Snider is his generosity of spirit and his desire to impart his wisdom and experiences – both personally and professionally – to those around him. He would attend our hospice team meetings, listening patiently to the reports about each patient, and, every time, he would share an experience or a perspective with us that allowed us to care for our patients better. And his teaching didn’t stop on the clinical side. I had the privilege of golfing with Dr. Snider at a recent Fairfield Medical Center Foundation golf outing – and he even took the time to teach and mentor me on the golf course! Teaching was at his core – and, as we each recall our experiences and interactions with him over the years, I know he will continue to teach and guide us for years to come.
In 2023, we created the Dr. Gordon B. Snider Community Impact Award to honor extraordinary companies, organizations, or member(s) of our community who represent a servant’s heart through actions of community service, education, advocacy, and community initiatives. I feel a certain peace knowing that his legacy lives on and will continue to be an inspiration to our team and the community. I will take his spirit of altruism, support, and advocacy and work every day to ensure we’re living up to the vision and legacy he created.