By Rebecca Goodman
The Cincinnati Enquirer

AMELIA - Lyle Edward Snider was about as all-American as anybody could be.

He served his country during World War II, coached baseball and softball in Amelia and Withamsville for decades and made Kahn's famous wieners for 20 years.

Everybody who knew him called him "Coach."

And "everybody in Amelia knew him," said his daughter Joy Houston of Amelia. "He was really friendly."

Mr. Snider - a resident of Amelia for 46 years - died March 8 after struggling for years with Parkinson's and diabetes. He was 78.

Born in Hamersville in Brown County in 1925, he graduated from Hamersville High School in 1943. Passionate about sports, he played Knothole Baseball in Hamersville and Bethel.

The Army drafted him soon after his graduation and sent him to Europe during World War II. He served as a special vehicle operator in Belgium and France and in occupied Germany after the war. One of his jobs was to transport the remains of deceased soldiers.

He came home and worked at several jobs until he landed the one from which he would retire in 1983 - at Kahn's. There his job was making pickle loaf and wieners.

Mr. Snider spent decades coaching hundreds of young athletes for the Amelia Youth Baseball League, the Withamsville Girls Softball League and Lindale Baptist Church in Amelia.

He attended all of his granddaughter Mandy's softball and basketball practices and games and was so supportive that the Amelia Basketball League gave him a trophy one year.

Although he struggled with Parkinson's last year, the highlight came when he got to see Mandy play softball one last time.

Mr. Snider's wife, Mildred, died nine months ago.

In addition to his daughter, survivors include two sons, Joe and Jeff, both of Amelia; a brother Bill Snider of Florence; a sister Laverne Newman of Springfield Township; and three grandchildren.

Services have been held. Burial was at Pierce Township Cemetery.

Memorials: National Parkinson's Foundation, 1501 NW Ninth Ave., Miami, FL 33136; or Hospice of Cincinnati, 4310 Cooper Road, Cincinnati, OH 45242.

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E-mail rgoodman@enquirer.com