Radio Executive, personality, and Maine Broadcast Hall of Famer Richard “Rick” Snyder passed away on August 14 in West Palm Beach, FL at the age of 82.
Born August 5th, 1941 in Syracuse, New York, Rick attended Nottingham High School, Syracuse University and was a graduate of the Cambridge School of Broadcasting.
In 1961, Rick started his broadcasting career, one that would take him to notoriety throughout the Northeast.
One of his stops was as a DJ at WTRY-AM in Troy, NY, where Snyder was at the forefront of the Top 40 revolution, meeting The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and many other artists who rose to stardom. Along with WTRY, Rick cracked mics at WNDR in Syracuse, NY in 1962 as well as WTTO in Toledo, Ohio, and WTRX in Flint, Michigan, where he would meet his future wife and mother of his two children Mary Jo Charnley.
In 1967, he moved to Maine where he joined WLOB-AM as Program Director, hosting what was thought to be the very first husband and wife morning show in America, “Snyder & Snyder” (Rick and Mary Jo).
Rick went on to become the General Manager of WJBQ while still hosting a weekend on-air show. Positions with WHOM and other stations followed until Rick decided to move to Florida, where he worked in both television and radio sales and management. In 2016, he was inducted into the Maine Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
Friends remember Rick as a passionate radio guy, a mentor to countless professionals, and a huge Red Sox fan. He is survived by his wife Rosalind, her son Cassidy and his family, his brother Michael, daughter Dawn and her children Lilly and Jacob, and his son Robert. Plans for a Celebration of Life are pending at publication.
