In Memoriam — Lee Sneden
Lee Sneden was born in Palisades on December 9, 1930 and died February 9, 2023 in Chatham, Massachusetts. He was the last of the historic Sneden family to live in Palisades. As an adult Lee moved to Spring Valley, where he worked in sales. He married Marilyn Whetstone of Nyack, started a family, and in 1967 moved to Chatham, Massachusetts where he worked in real estate. Lee and his wife divorced In the 1970s, and Lee moved back to Rockland County where he remarried and started his own successful business as a sales rep for several companies dealing in safety equipment. About nine years ago, Lee and his second wife divorced and Lee moved back to Chatham which he always loved and missed.
Throughout his life Lee had a history of supporting issues of civil rights and social justice. He spent many hours holding signs at peace vigils after the invasion of Iraq.
Lee was a family historian and often spoke fondly of growing up in Palisades. When he lived in Rockland County he worked with Helene Stansbury of Palisades to protect the historic Palisades Cemetery, where many of his ancestors are buried. Because of their work, the organization they created, P.L.O.T., had the money needed to buy back the cemetery for the community a few years ago. Lee also served as a member of the first Palisades Cemetery Board. Lee’s son Bob remembers walking with him amongst the headstones, trying to make out the weathered inscriptions of long lost relatives.
Lee was predeceased by his oldest child Deborah. He leaves behind his son, Bob and daughter, Molly (of course named after Molly Sneden who ran the ferry during the Revolutionary War), three grandsons and one great grandson.