SNIDER, William Paxton

October 7, 1922 - May 29, 2012

William “Bill” Paxton Snider, Sr., M.D., died on May 29, 2012 in Chula Vista, California due to vascular disease.

Bill was born on October 7, 1922 in Socorro, New Mexico. He was the youngest of four children born to Lucinda Ann Paxton of Falls City, Nebraska and D’Arcy Ensign Snider of Ontario, Canada, who died of pneumonia just months before he could meet his only son. In 1928, Bill attended the Voorhis School for Boys in San Dimas, California. His exceptional abilities allowed him to skip two grade levels and transfer to Webb School in Claremont. In 1938, at age 15 ½, Bill attended Occidental College where he lettered in swimming and graduated in 1942 with a B.S. in Chemistry.

After college, Bill enlisted in the US Navy and served as a commissioned officer aboard the USS Meade and then aboard the submarine USS Sandlance until it was decommissioned in 1946. Bill met his future wife, Bernice Ramona Wood, at Victoria Beach in 1947. They married June 11, 1949. Bill attended medical school at USC and graduated in 1953. He completed his internship and residency at Los Angeles County General Hospital in 1957 and subsequently took his clinical pathology boards, achieving the highest score in the nation. Bill started his pathology practice in 1960 at both Intercommunity and Queen of the Valley hospitals in West Covina. He was Chief Pathologist at QVH until retiring in 1996 and remained a member of the Board of Trustees to spearhead the merger of Intercommunity and Queen of the Valley hospitals, which formed Citrus Valley Health Partners. He also was a clinical professor of pathology at USC.

Bill’s favorite pastime was golf, which he did for over 45 years as a member of South Hills Country Club. Bill also enjoyed going to the beach and body surfing, and he was a big fan of UCLA basketball.

Bill was an amazing man and is loved by many. He is survived by his three children, Susan and son-in-law Erick Nelson, Bill Jr., and Elizabeth and son-in-law James Rodriguez; grandchildren Tara, Chris and Sarah, great granddaughter Aubrey Iris, nephew Patrick Melton, niece Anne Gallardo, and nephew Rick Neace. He was preceeded in death by his three sisters, Betty Lou, Martha, and Patricia. His wife died January 18, 2009.

A private burial-at-sea will take place in July. Please consider a donation in Bill’s name to the Salvation Army or your favorite charity.