THELBERT NEWCOMB ‘PUG’ SNYDER- Obituary
Thelbert Newcomb “Pug” Snyder, 102, of Haddonfield, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, surrounded by his loving family.
Pug was predeceased by his beloved wife of 47 years, Charlotte Rose “Chick” (née Conto) Snyder, whom he married on October 12, 1947, and who died on September 30, 1994. He is survived by his two sons, Charles L. Snyder (Rea) of Haddonfield and Puggy Snyder of Clayton; three grandchildren, Rea Snyder Morris (Thomas John), Steven F. Snyder (Megan), and Jonathan Snyder (Madeline); and four great-grandsons, John “Jack” Morris, Aiden Snyder, Evan Snyder, and Everett Snyder.
He was predeceased by his parents, Linwood Goslin Snyder and Florence E. (née Newcomb) Snyder, who died from complications during his birth; by his second mother, Alice M. (née Hildebrand) Snyder, who married his father on April 9, 1924, and was the only mother he ever knew; by his brother, Horace “Bozo” Snyder (the late Marge); by his nephew David Snyder; and by his later-in-life cherished longtime companion, Edith (née Olsen) Cassaday. He is also survived by his nephew, Allen Paul Snyder (Patty).
Born on July 17, 1923, in Vineland and raised in Clayton after the family moved there in 1925, Pug lived in Clayton for a full century before relocating to Haddonfield earlier this year. A 1940 graduate of Clayton High School, he enlisted in the United States Navy shortly after graduation and proudly served his country for six years (1940–1946) during World War II. He trained aboard the historic USS Constellation—the last sail-only warship built by the U.S. Navy—and, late in life, walked her decks in Baltimore with family, recounting memories of his service. For five years he island-hopped across the South Pacific on small ships, performing aircraft repair, guard duty, and recovery operations in the aftermath of battle.
After the war, Pug and Chick opened Snyder’s News Agency (also known as Clayton News Agency) on Delsea Drive in Clayton. They operated the retail store and delivered newspapers seven days a week from 1946 until they sold the business in 1969. He later delivered appliances for Community Oil and Furniture in Franklinville. In 1965, they purchased the Moffitt Beach Campsite Store and campground in Speculator, New York, which they renamed Snyder’s Trailer Park; they sold the store in 1988 and the campground thereafter.
An avid outdoorsman and athlete, Pug snow-skied until age 87, golfed for decades, hiked, played baseball, and fished throughout his life. With Chick, he traveled by motorhome to 49 states, visiting every Presidential Library through that of George H.W. Bush, and together they enjoyed a month-long journey through England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy.
Pug devoted himself to the betterment of Clayton. He was a charter member and first vice president of the Clayton Athletic Association, instrumental in bringing lights to the Clayton football field, as well as a founding member of the Clayton Little League. He was a longtime member of the Clayton Kiwanis and served as its president in 1965; a member of Clayton Masonic Lodge; a charter member of Clayton Elks Lodge; a Clayton councilman from 1954 to 1958, during which he helped establish the borough’s sewer system; and a member of the Clayton School Board in 1959, where he sponsored the Harold L. Costill Memorial Scholarship at Clayton High School. Last but not least, Pug was a generous supporter of the Clayton Historical Society, donating countless items of local historical significance.
Above all, Pug treasured time with his family—especially his four great-grandsons—at his home, his campground, during holidays and at countless ball games! He also relished time with his friends, spending countless hours rocking away on the veranda of his grand home in Clayton, visiting with his “Porch Friends” – family, neighbors, and townspeople who sought his unmatched recollections of Clayton’s people, places and past.
Pug Snyder lived a century marked by service, adventure, and love for his family and community. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all who knew him.
Relatives and friends are invited to his viewing on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, and again on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at BARCLAY FUNERAL HOME, 208 Maple Street, Clayton, NJ 08312. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday at 12:00 PM at the funeral home. Interment with Military Honors will follow at Cedar Green Cemetery in Clayton.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Pug’s memory may be made to the American Cancer Society, PO Box 6704, Hagerstown, MD 21741 or to Clayton Historical Preservation, Inc., PO Box 29, Clayton, NJ 08312-0029.
Condolences and memories may be shared by visiting BarclayFuneralHome.net.