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Ellis Scott Snyder

Ellis Scott Snyder, 20, was born on Nov. 24, 1994, and passed away unexpectedly on Dec. 18. God blessed Ellis with a giant heart, a huge love of life, and a big laugh that was infectious.

Ellis and his dad Mark Snyder were inseparable and the best of buddies. From his dad he inherited his sense of kindness toward others, the love of sports, and the importance of loyalty to friends. When he wasn’t spending every other moment with his buddies, Ellis spent numerous joyful times with his Aunt Avery, Uncle Mike, Aunt Jonquil, and Grandma Bev. One of his fondest memories with his Grandpa Scott and Deb was his visit to California after graduating high school.

Casey Snyder, Ellis’s little brother, loved to play catch in the back yard, basketball, football, or just simply to hang out. Casey looked up to his big brother and admired his passion for sports. He believed Ellis walked on water. Casey is not the only one who looked up to Ellis. His blended family brothers Ethan, Kevin, and Jack looked forward to his visits home from school, and the school vacations that would enable them all to play video games, jet ski, play basketball, and jump on the trampoline. There were countless nights of brother talk among all five boys.

Ellis loved motor cross biking and snowboarding, but his true love was for Yankee baseball, which was always on wherever he was. Ellis graduated from Old Saybrook Middle School and Xavier High School. He was a member of the 2010 Legion State Championship baseball team as an outfielder. He then attended Johnson & Wales University as a freshman, where he made the Dean’s List and was one of twelve students who worked on a business project that was chosen to be published, something he and his family were extremely proud of. Ellis then became a student at the University of Vermont pursuing political science and enjoyed conversations with his dad. He was always hungry for knowledge of government and policies, and was always open to both sides of the debate.

Ellis is survived by his mother Lyn (Goodspeed) Snyder; and his father Mark Ellis Snyder and his loving companion Terry McDowell of Old Saybrook. Ellis also leaves behind his brother Casey Snyder, his paternal grandparents Beverly Littlefield and her companion Edward Hallisey, and Scott and Deb Snyder; maternal grandmother Shirley Goodspeed; aunts and uncles Avery and Mike MacDonald, Jonquil DePaulo, Gregory Goodspeed, and James Goodspeed; cousin Maeve DePaulo; and numerous friends.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Dec. 23 at St. John’s Church, 151 Main St., Old Saybrook. Burial will follow at Riverside Cemetery, Old Saybrook. Memorial donations may be made to the University of Vermont Foundation, 411 Main St., Burlington, VT 05401, or to Xavier Office of Advancement, 181 Randolph Rd., Middletown, CT 06457. For online expressions of sympathy, please visit www.swanfuneralhomeoldsaybrook.com. See more at http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/hartfordcourant/obituary.aspx?n=ellis-s-snyder&pid=173545275&fhid=4191#sthash.btgxcIwn.dpuf.