Michael J. Snyder

YARDVILLE -- Michael J. Snyder, 54, died Thursday at Robert Wood Johnson University Hosital after a long illness.

Born in the Bronx, Mike resided on Long Island for many years before moving to Princeton Junction and finally settling into Yardville.

In 1967 he graduated from Plainedge High School in Massapequa, NY and continued his education at C.W. Post College for Theater Arts and Radio, NY Institute of Technology for Television Production, and RCA Institute for Electronics. He had a love for music and sound; Mike was a drummer for many years and enjoyed all kinds of music, favoring mostly show tunes and jazz.

He was an avid computer and technology fan who loved to work with, build and test electronic equipment. For the past 24 years he worked for CBS Television in New York as a video engineer. Credits include "The Late Show with David Letterman," "The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather," "Eye to Eye with Connie Chung," "Day & Date," "CBS Sports," "NFL Today," "Up to the Minute," "Channel 2 News," "The Charles Perez Show," "Gordon Elliot Show," "Hubble Telescope Repair Mission," "Politically Incorrect" for HBO, as well as many others.

In 1988, he won an Emmy Award for technical excellence as senior video engineer for the "NFL Today" as well as two other nominations, and was later nominated again for a Daytime Emmy for the "Day & Date" show.

In 1988, in addition to his duties at CBS, he was the vice president of operations for Starlight Communications, Inc. It was here that he worked on direct satellite feeds to major network stations for projects such as Gorbechev's meetings with presidents Reagan and Bush, including Camp David, ESPN's "Top Rank Boxing" and other news events.

Prior to CBS, Mike worked at PBS WNET as master control supervisor in audio and video. He also worked for New Jersey Public Television as a transmitter engineer, at the Kentucky Educational Television Network from 1974 to 1975 as an audio and maintenance engineer, and at WLEX-TV in Lexington, KY working with audio, video and maintenance.

From 1972 to 1973 he worked for Harman-Kardon in Plainview, NY doing final assembly, test and trouble shooting for the Rabco turntable division. From 1969 to 1970 he worked at NBC-TV as a network sales assistant and moved to NBC Radio Network as an engineer mixing and editing for News and Entertainment.

Son of the late Emanuel and Lillian Snyder, he is survived by his daughter, Lisa Anne Snyder of Yardville; his former wife Joanne M. Snyder of Morrisville, PA; a brother and sister-in-law Gene and Roz Snyder of Phoenix, AZ; a sister and brother-in-law, Phyllis and Marty Williky in Keller, TX; his nephews, Gary and Robert Williky of Colleyville, TX; Scott Snyder of Scottsdale, AZ; his nieces Barbara Lyons of Old Bridge, Tami Strauss of Chandler, AZ, Joan Boiko of Palm Springs, CA; and all of their familes and many cousins.

Funeral services are 2 p.m. Sunday at Orland's Ewing Memorial Chapel, 1534 Pennington Road, Ewing Township.

Burial will be Tuesday at Star of David Cemetery, North Lauderdale, FL.

Memorial contributions may be offered to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 216 Haddon Ave., Westmont, NJ 08108.

Published in The Times, Trenton, on 10/16/2004.