Percy Snider: Wonderfully Wild

Kate Kristiansen | Feb 24, 2021

Wonderfully Wild 
by Kate Kristiansen

Monday, February 22, 2021 – On a wild wintery day, the village of Sydenham gathered on Mill Street, slightly past noon, to bid farewell to a beloved member of their community, Mr. Percy Snider. 
Percy passed away peacefully in Kingston on Tuesday, February 16, 2021 in his 70th year. The village is a web of colourful people, which makes living here so rich, however many are not as misunderstood as as Percy Snider. He looked after and contributed to this region more than was known. A fitting farewell as the snow blew sideways of just how much. The ‘protector’ of the village, an understated man, some might even suggest a gruff character who showed up to help in the most timely of ways. 

He was predeceased by his wife of forty years, Mary, and will be greatly missed by his granddaughters Kyley and Ashley and great-grandchildren Payton, Carson and Harley. 
Percy was loving brother to Harold, Rick, Margaret, Keitha and Beatrice, and had many nieces and nephews who will miss him. 
Percy had a special bond with his friend, employee and new manager, Doug and his children Amber, Blake and Reid. Doug has taken over running the business and will comment more in the near future. For now, family and friends are grieving their friend.
He worked hard his whole life to leave behind his legacy, his business, Percy Snider Trucking. He will be missed by his many employees past and present, especially Mike Horton, his “right-hand man". 
He will be missed by many people in Sydenham especially Pam and Pat at One Stop, where he always popped in for his morning coffee, and by Christine at Memory Lane Flowers.
His dog, Smily, will especially miss him. I am Percy’s neighbour and often his dogs, or even his cows would saunter over for a rest or a nibble in my yard. Percy was the best kind of neighbour — a wave hello, a stop on the road for a chat, a watchful eye, he would plow the driveway even before I asked and kept to himself other times. I moved here ten years ago and early on asked him for a quote for gravel for the driveway. The quote never arrived, but one day I came home, and the potholes were filled in and the driveway completed. I had to run into him in his “office” at the One Stop to find out how much pay him. He will be very missed.

When learning of Percy’s passing, Christine Kennedy, owner of Memory Lane Flowers, issued a note on her Facebook wall, which gathered many a reply from near and far.

She writes, “A friend of ours has passed away— some feared him, some loved him, some looked up to him, some joked with him, some, yes even cursed him. But most just knew him as Percy…

his devotion to his family, his friends, and this community. He provided jobs, he provided insight as to the happenings of the Community. He was a business owner, and even through his rough and gruff demeanor, he was indeed just a big ‘teddy bear’ and to me one of my ‘elves’ that most never knew, who would help behind the scenes in this village.” 

“He always portrayed his rough and tough exterior but if you were willing to give him just 10 minutes of your time you would soon see that he was a big teddy bear. Everyone has a story or two (hundred) to share about Percy!” echoes Michelle Gordon.

Paul Wash says, “I would call Percy the ‘unofficial’ Mayor of Sydenham.  A man with a huge heart, wrapped in a gruff exterior. Those of us that really knew Percy, knew that that was just his way of sorting out his many friends. I have known Percy for many years and have always had a great respect for him.”

Mayor Ron Vandewal says, “You can like Percy Snider or not, but NO one will ever know how much he has done in this community.  I have known Percy my whole life.  I’ve been on his good side and I’ve been on his bad side several times but if you called him night or day, he would do whatever you needed.  He will be missed.”

Sheena Marie shares, “We had a handshake deal with him to pull our hay (maybe get 7-10 bales a pull) for his cows. It worked for us because it kept our field maintained and helped feed his cows. One morning I woke up early to see him ploughing the grass in our backyard (not the hay field) that had grown long as well (we would typically mow that). I poked my head out and laughed at him. He said, “Waste not, want not,” and laughed. Knowing the terrain was a bit bumpy in the field too, I also asked how it was and he responded with, ‘Sure as shit ain’t a golf course, but it’ll do.’ What I saw of him was very funny and very kind. I prefer handshake deals with men like Percy, rather than pretty words from most people my age. He was part of a dying breed of human that operated on the honour system. May he rest well.”

About another such handshake deal, Counsellor Ross Sutherland shares, “A few summer ago, we were getting ready for the Lakes & Trails Festival, close to the day we realized that part of the K&P Trail from Harrowsmith to Sydenham needed to be cut. I asked Percy if he could help at short notice. ‘Yep,’ he said. I asked, ‘how much?’ and he replied, ‘we can work the money out later.’ The next day both sides of the trail (approx. 5 kms) were cut. He may have even done it himself, but I never saw an invoice for it. And, I would say that happened a lot in the community. He had a huge heart.”
Our wonderfully wild friend did have a heart of gold and would help anyone he could. He loved his community and donated to numerous charities. Our village will miss seeing Percy at the One Stop, eating an ice-cream cone this summer or stopping for a wave, a coffee and a chat. 

More stories to come next week as we reflect and say a final goodbye to our friend, Percy Snider.