OBITUARIES

Bruce Snowden, the Mayor of Bailey Ave.

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Bruce Snowden, who lived in the Bronx and Riverdale for many years and moved to Georgia later in life, died May 22, 2019, holding the hand of his wife of 52 years, Virginia.

He was the proud father of three children — Christopher, John and Thomas — and the proud grandfather to many loving and beautiful grandchildren.

He was a longtime contributor to The Riverdale Press, even into his older and infirm years, as he had a lifelong passion for writing.

His final letter was published in August 2015, not long after he moved to Rincon, Georgia. After sharing some words of wisdom from Pope Francis, he talked about the importance of protecting the environment.

“The question may arise, ‘Why should this be?’ Well, as someone once said, so ‘that no one should have nothing.’ In other words, nations and individuals blessed with varying degrees of affluence must be willing to add a little water to the soup of human need. That is, sacrifice flavor for substance. It is in the tangibility of substance, not in the sensuous superficiality of flavor, in its own way also a gift from G-d, that sustenance resides. We are our brothers/sisters keepers!”

Arrangements were handled by Strickland Funeral Home of Effingham County, and the Catholic Mass was performed at Saint Boniface Church in Springfield, Georgia.

The viewing and Mass were beautiful and dignified, and he will be missed by all who knew him and loved him. He was a friend to all in need of a friend. And he was affectionately known as “The Mayor of Bailey Avenue.”

Bruce Snowden,