“At 101, most of your close friends have gone by,” stated Snyder, who has lived in the similar house since 1951. “But you can keep making new ones.”
Snyder’s circle of buddies grows weekly. Some of his fondest bonds had been shaped in recent times.
His friendship with Valerie Ramsey, for example, started at his dentist’s workplace a couple of years in the past.
When Snyder become at affected person at the dental workplace of Mark St. George, the place Ramsey is the workplace supervisor, they instantly take to each other, and learned they reside down the street from one some other. Now, they communicate a number of instances per week at the telephone, and join up in particular person when their schedules align.
“He’s a charmer,” stated Ramsey, 57. “He has a magnetic personality. He is just so up all the time.”
Kira Lueders is some other instance of a slightly new friendship in Snyder’s existence.
Lueders is president of the Parkwood Residents Association, and from a neighborhood electronic mail crew, she discovered that it used to be Snyder’s a hundredth birthday on Dec. 5, 2021. Although she had by no means met him, she determined to hand-deliver a card to him, one thing rankings of other people within the house did, together with greater than 70 youngsters.
When Lueders delivered her card, the 2 were given to speaking.
“I realized that he was a bird lover like I, so I started sharing my bird magazines with him, and sending him emails about things that would interest him,” Lueders stated. “He is interested in everything.”
Lueders, who has lived locally since 1967, now steadily visits with Snyder at his area.
“He’s a very, very engaging man,” Lueders stated. “He really cares about people.”
“I’m 83 myself,” she added. “And he’s an inspiration for what a much older age could be.”
Snyder, who grew up in Pennsylvania, served as a master sergeant in the Army throughout World War II, after which labored as assistant secretary of the Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association for a number of many years.
He has lived on my own since his spouse, Kay, died in 2005. They have been married for greater than 60 years, and feature two sons in combination — Dave, 76, who lives in California, and Mike, 72, who lives in Texas.
Snyder begins each and every morning the similar method: after waking up, he does a chain of workout routines from mattress.
“I’ll do the bicycle exercise, then I’ll do the bridge exercise, and I’ll do a partial sit-up and hold it,” he stated, noting that he does the bicycle workout 225 instances.
He makes use of a walker to help with steadiness, however calls himself fortunate to be wholesome. “I don’t have any medical complaints,” he stated.
Once his exercise is entire, Snyder prepares eggs — he’ll make both poached, hard-boiled or scrambled. Sometimes he’ll cook dinner up French toast or pancakes, typically accompanied through a facet of sausage or bacon.
“Breakfast is my best meal,” Snyder stated.
He tries to fill his days with friends and circle of relatives, and despite the fact that his sons don’t reside close by, they’ve a status three-way FaceTime name on Tuesdays and Fridays.
“That’s another thing that keeps me going. My boys,” Snyder stated.
His sons taught him how to use an iPad — which is helping him keep involved with remote friends and members of the family, together with his granddaughter and two great-grandsons. He additionally tunes in just about to services and products at the Silver Spring Church of Christ, the place he has been a member for 72 years. He has many friends there.
Parishioner Jackie Gill, 69, who met Snyder at church in 1990, become rapid friends with him, in spite of their 32-year age distinction. “I couldn’t ask for a better friend than Paul,” Gill stated, including that his spouse, Eleanor, additionally is a detailed pal of Snyder’s.
“Age has nothing to do with it,” Gill stated. “I’ll do anything for him because it’s a joy for me to do it.”
Since Snyder stopped using remaining yr, Gill provides to take him anyplace he wishes to pass. Gill stated Snyder’s open and curious way of thinking is what draws other people to him.
“He is just genuine,” Gill stated. “He is warm to everyone.”
While church has been an important hub for making friends, Snyder stated, he sees each and every vacation spot as a chance to mingle.
Maintaining “strong ties” — or the relationships we now have with circle of relatives and shut friends — is essential to Snyder, however he additionally understands the price of what sociologists name (*101*) — informal acquaintances, similar to neighbors, retailer staff and financial institution tellers. Daily interactions like those, professionals say, have vital results on well being and well-being.
Every few months, Snyder stops in at A&L Nails on Armory Avenue for a pedicure. “They all recognize me. Whenever I get there, I say ‘Grandpa Paul is here,’” Snyder stated. “I love it.”
The feeling turns out to be mutual.
“He is very happy and very nice,” stated Ana Nguyen, the landlord of the salon. “He keeps coming back. Now he brings his son here.”
Snyder has been construction friendships with other people within the Parkwood group for many years. Every spring, he invitations other people to come see the fuchsia azaleas in his lawn. He additionally helps to keep a basket of his sons’ previous toys that he brings out on every occasion babies come through with their oldsters to greet him.
Many of Snyder’s newer relationships began after his a hundredth birthday, which used to be featured at the entrance web page of the Kensington Neighbors mag in February 2022 with the headline “Meet Paul Snyder!”
Ron Wahl learn the tale, and when he learned they have been each raised in Meyersdale, Pa., he wrote Snyder a letter and integrated his touch information. Snyder referred to as him once he were given it.
“He invited me over to come visit, and that was the beginning of our friendship,” stated Wahl, 82, who lives 3 blocks clear of Snyder.
Montgomery County not too long ago identified citizens older than 100 in May, and Snyder used to be invited to a celebratory luncheon. He additionally won a quotation from the County Council in August for his “extraordinary journey through 101 years of life.”
Jeff Griffith, 79, who met Snyder across the time he grew to become 100, is some other shut pal. Griffith writes Parkwood’s e-newsletter, which integrated Snyder in a “Meet Your Neighbor” characteristic.
“It’s easy to like him,” stated Griffith, who steadily invitations Snyder to have dinner with him and his spouse. They additionally incessantly bring baked items and contemporary produce to Snyder’s area.
Snyder’s sharp humor and bits of knowledge are a part of what attracts other people to him, Griffith stated.
“You just got to look at the bright side,” Snyder stated. “If you have a problem, deal with that problem. But don’t let the problem deal you.”
Snyder is reasonable concerning the demanding situations and uncertainty of having older, pronouncing he tries to take existence sooner or later at a time. Mostly, even though, he’s simply satisfied to be right here.
“Everybody has been so nice,” he stated.