Owen Snider

Owen Snider

Owen Graydon Snider passed away on May 31, 2026, at the age of 79. Born in Harrowsmith, Ontario, Owen lived a life that took him through Kingston, Ontario and later to Calgary, Alberta, where he spent nearly three decades before ultimately settling in his “cabin in the woods” near Calabogie, Ontario. He was married to Judith Snider for nearly 50 years, a partnership that formed a central thread through much of his life. He is survived by Judith, son Jonathan (J), daughter-in-law Ramona and grandchildren Calvin and Liesl.

Owen built a long career as Executive Director of the Alberta Law Foundation, contributing to the legal and charitable landscape of Alberta. Indeed, his passionate support of the fundamental principles of the law foundation model led him to play a leadership role in that community throughout Canada and the United States. With a strong belief in giving back, Owen was involved with many charitable and not-for-profit groups including Habitat for Humanity, Calgary Public Library, Ottawa Mission, The Ottawa Hospital Foundation and, most recently, Hospice Renfrew. Having grown up on a farm, he treasured his time in the garden. At this time of year, you could always find Owen, in his Tilley hat, planting, transplanting and digging - all the while fighting the black flies and mosquitoes! He and Judith always loved traveling whether it was pulling a tent trailer through the Rockies in the 70s or hiking in Switzerland in the 2000s. His last trip was to Belgium in October 2025, where putting 18,000 steps in to discover some obscure landmark was just an ordinary day.

Owen’s life was marked by remarkable resilience, having survived lymphoma three times.He ultimately became one of first successful recipients of CAR-T cell therapy in a pioneering made-in-Canada clinical trial run through The Ottawa Hospital. He was proud to become a patient spokesperson and advocate for the program.

Those who reflect on Owen’s life will certainly think of his courage in the face of hardship. However, he will also be remembered for a love of life, a wicked sense of humour, loyalty to his friends and his unconditional love of Judith, J, Ramona, Calvin and Liesl.

Donations to The Ottawa Hospital Foundation or the Renfrew Victoria Hospital Foundation would be a fine way to honour Owen Snider.

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