Donald M. Snell ’51

Donald M. Snell ’51 died in Glenville, New York, on December 1, 2011. After leaving Dartmouth and the Thayer School with two engineering degrees, Don described four main roles in his life: husband, father, engineer and citizen. Family was the centerpiece of his life; he and his wife, Joanne, raised four children and had four grandchildren. Don’s family had strong Dartmouth ties, dating back to his great-great-grandfather, Thomas Snell, class of 1795, and including brothers, Kenneth ’53 and Robert ’57 (deceased). Don’s engineering experience included U.S. Navy service as a ship superintendent in the Boston Naval Shipyard. He spent 38 years as a manager in General Electric Co.’s Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory and its machinery apparatus operation. Service was a major theme in Don’s life, with particular emphasis on conservation and the environment, Boy Scouts of America and his church. He worked first as a volunteer and then as a part-time employee of the Eastern New York chapter of the Nature Conservancy. An Eagle Scout, he served for 15 years as scoutmaster of Troop 65 in Glenville. He was honored by the Scouts with its Silver Beaver Award. GE recognized him with its Elfun Territory Award for outstanding community service. He served Dartmouth as an assistant class agent for the class of ’51 and as an alumni interviewer. Don grew up in Orange, Connecticut, and came to Dartmouth from New Haven (Connecticut) High School. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta.