SURRY
Judge David Forrest Snow was born in Boston on March 15, 1932, to Albert Grindle Snow and Hope Farrington and passed away in the Northern Light Bangor hospital on April 30, 2020, after a short, undiagnosed illness (unrelated to COVID-19).
During the Second World War, while his father, a Blue Hill native, was serving in the Army in Europe, David lived for four years with his mother in Blue Hill and attended the Consolidated School and George Stevens Academy. After the end of WWII, while his father was still serving in the Army in Germany, he attended The Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz in Switzerland. Eventually the Snows returned to the U.S., and David graduated from high school in Wisconsin. That was followed by a year at Stanford. When his father died in 1950, the family moved back east, and David transferred to Dartmouth College, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1954. He then attended graduate school at Harvard, where he hoped to get a Ph.D. in philosophy. When it occurred to him that he’d have trouble supporting himself, let alone a family (even though thinking was his favorite pastime), he switched to the law school, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1960.
He and the family moved to Cleveland and he spent the next 38 years (except for one when he taught law at the University of Iowa) practicing law at the firm that is now known as Jones Day. In 1988, he was appointed to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and became The Honorable David Forrest Snow. On the bench, Judge Snow was known for his keen intellect, upbeat demeanor, fairness to all litigants and ability to handle a large caseload with alacrity. He retired in 2000 and moved to the land of his paternal ancestors, where he had spent virtually every summer of his life, enjoying swimming, kayaking, wind surfing and the like on Toddy Pond. While living in Surry, he served as a board member of what was then simply called the Blue Hill Hospital, the Blue Hill Library, the Blue Hill Historical Society and Colloquy Downeast, and for many years was chairman of the Surry Appeals Board. His involvement with the Colloquy included his facilitating numerous colloquies on the U.S. Constitution and Supreme Court. In addition to his many bookish interests, he was lucky enough to be able to continue riding his bicycle around the mountain of Acadia at age 85, play duplicate bridge way too often until age 88, walk his beloved Goldendoodle, Grindle, virtually to the end of his life on a daily basis, and was damn good looking even at 88!
David was predeceased by his parents, his brother George “Twink” Snow of Orono and his grandson Nicholas Colwell. He is survived by his wife, Joyce Neiditz; son Dr. Nicholas Snow and wife, Dr. Cathleen McCoy; daughter Alison and husband, Benjamin Labaree; and daughter Catherine Twitchell; grandchildren Ian and Elizabeth Snow, Sarah and Jessica Twitchell and Danny Labaree; and his very best friend, his Goldendoodle that goes by the name of Grindle.
David was an unusually kind, loving, empathetic, amusing, decent, incredibly honest, caring individual who will be greatly missed.
Arrangements by Jordan-Fernald, 113 Franklin St., Ellsworth.
Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com.
Contributions in Judge Snow’s name may be made to George Stevens Academy, 23 Union St., Blue Hill, ME 04614; Blue Hill Library, 5 Parker Point Road, Blue Hill, ME 04614; Blue Hill Concert Association, 22 Tenney Hill, Blue Hill, ME 04614; or Friends in Action, 115 State St., Ellsworth, ME 04605.