Leonard Snyder has worn many hats at the Bristol Borough-based Grundy Foundation over the years. He’s served as both the executive director and trustee. After a combined 48 years of service to the foundation that helps support the Bristol-area community, Snyder hung up his hat and retired at the end of last month.
Snyder has had an impact on the foundation founded by Senator Joseph R. Grundy up his death. Like Grundy’s contributions, Synder’s will be remembered as nothing less than extremely valuable and irreplaceable.
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Snyder served the foundation as executive director for 22 years and then spent another 26 years as a trustee. During his time with the foundation, a number of things area Bristol residents take for granted were accomplished through the foundation’s donations, including the renovation of the Margaret Grundy Library, the Grundy Museum’s exterior was refurbished, the skating rink was built, Mill Street was improved and the land behind the shopping district was donated to the borough for parking. In addition, numerous impact grants were made for improvements and to charitable organizations for support were made. Another lasting legacy will be Synder’s efforts to convert a rundown movie house on Radcliffe Street into the Bristol Riverside Theatre.
Snyder’s impact on the town and surrounding areas is not likely to soon be forgotten.
Former Executive Director of the James A. Michener Museum, Bruce Katsiff said: “For decades Len Snyder used his positions with the Grundy Foundation to improve the quality of life in our community. He supported social service activity, housing for seniors, arts and culture, economic development, education and many other activities designed to make Bucks County a better place to live. His creative approaches to problem solving have left a positive mark on our county.”
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Bristol Riverside Theatre’s Founding and Producing Director Susan Atkinson said that “working with Len Snyder over the past 35 years, from the inception of the idea of Bristol Riverside Theatre to its fruition and now to celebrating its 30th year, has been one of the true joys of my creative life. Len has been a strong, inventive, and always inquisitive partner over the years. He has been a true gift to not only the theater but to Bristol. We are truly a very fortunate town.”
The theater was one of Snyder’s biggest goals, said Dave Harris, owner of Harris Comfort. He added that Snyder always worked to promote projects in Bucks County and particularly those in Bristol Borough.
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“Mr. Snyder will be greatly missed by the entire staff of The Grundy Foundation, Museum, and Library,” said Eugene Williams, executive director of The Grundy Foundation. “He is irreplaceable in terms of knowledge about the Foundation’s history. And because much of that history involved Mr. Snyder’s central role as the conscience and driving force for positive change in Bristol and communities county-wide, he leaves behind a legacy as one of the most dynamic and influential persons ever to be associated with the Grundy name.”
