GEORGIA NORTON PHILLIPS SNEAD
Georgia Norton Phillips Snead passed away in Santa Fe on Friday, April 20, at home in the company of family and her cat. A third-generation New Mexican, Georgia descended from the Barker family of Sapello and was born and raised in Las Vegas. Her lifelong love of travel began at an early date, when her family spent the 1952 year driving through Latin America. One of the highlights of that trip was a nighttime ride on the back of a burro to see the erupting volcano Parícutin, in the Mexican state of Michoacán. Georgia was a graduate of Robertson High School, subsequently attending the University of New Mexico, where she joined the Chi Omega sorority and majored in Inter-American Affairs. There she met James E. (Jim) Snead: they were married in 1960, and she joined him in Washington, DC, where he was enrolled in law school at George Washington University. They moved to Santa Fe in 1963, raised two sons, and over the next 55 years Georgia was involved in many different spheres of Santa Fe life.
She was particularly committed to promoting international understanding. Her work on behalf of the Santa Fe Council on International Relations began in the late 1960s, when she provided homestay opportunities for foreign travelers. Her role evolved into assisting sponsored visitors from dozens of nations, sent to Santa Fe by diverse governmental agencies and NGOs. By the time she retired in 1995 she had worked with an estimated 2500 people and was saluted by the Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau as one of "Los Amigos de Santa Fe." Her lifelong philosophy, as quoted in a 1992 article in the Santa Fe New Mexican, was to "build bridges between cultures, peoples and countries...on an individual basis."
Her personal travels were extensive. She visited dozens of different countries on six continents, sometimes with groups, family, or independently with her husband, Jim. Destinations included China, India, Latin America, various African countries, and the Soviet Union before the fall of the Iron Curtain. One highlight was a three-month sojourn through the southwestern Pacific in 1985, which involved river journeys and small plane flights deep into Papua New Guinea. In later life she revisited these trips via family journals, read before breakfast every morning.
Georgia was a lifelong Christian Scientist and member of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Santa Fe. She helped with the project of building the church at its location on Cordova Road and over the years played numerous critical roles in the congregation. For many she was a familiar sight at the Christian Science Reading Room in its downtown Santa Fe locations.
Georgia belonged to many local organizations including Junior Woman’s Club (president, 1968-69), the League of Women Voters, and the Women’s Board of the Museum of New Mexico. On retirement, she and Jim delivered meals for Kitchen Angels. She was a stalwart alto in various local chorales. Georgia was proud of her New Mexico heritage, and served as literary executor for her uncle and aunt, the western writers S. Omar Barker and Elsa Barker. She was a quiet, positive force in the lives of many.
Reading was one of Georgia’s passions; a favorite project from her days with the Junior Woman’s Club supported National Children’s Book Week programs. She enjoyed talking about books with family and friends, and for several years was a reading tutor at Cesar Chavez Elementary School. She spent as much time as possible with her grandchildren, taking pleasure in their many activities. One of her greatest joys was spending time at the cabin on the old family property near Sapello-"Beulacita"-where she looked after heirloom apple trees and patches of wild raspberries.
The family is grateful for the care Georgia received in the month of April. Particularly valuable were Presbyterian Medical Service Hospice; Comfort Keepers Caretakers (especially Andrea Rosetta); Josh Brown, M.D.; William Bacon, P.A.; Bill Jones, M.D., and Peggy; and the nursing staff at Christus St. Vincent’s. Good friends Pam Matthews and Diana Dallas were excellent caretakers.
Georgia is survived by her husband, James E. Snead, of Santa Fe; her two sons, James E. Snead of Los Angeles, CA, and Gregory L. Snead, of Puyallup, WA; daughters-in-law Monica L. Smith, of Los Angeles, and Laura L. Snead, of Puyallup; grandchildren Aidan Snead, Emily Snead-Hearing, and Molly Snead; brother Robert A. Phillips RADM (ret.) and his wife HelenAnn, of Santa Fe; brother-in law Bill Snead and his wife Patricia Snead of Albuquerque; sister-in-law Virginia Jay Helms, of Albuquerque; and many other loving family members and friends.
On May 4, 2018, there will be a reception at Quail Run from 4-6 pm for family and friends honoring the beautiful life of Georgia.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to Kitchen Angels (http://kitchenangels.org/).