Owen Snider
Owen Graydon Snider passed away on May 31, 2026, at the age of 79. He was born in Harrowsmith, Ontario, and his journey took him through Kingston, Ontario, and later to Calgary, Alberta. Owen spent nearly thirty years in Calgary before finally making his home in a “cabin in the woods” near Calabogie, Ontario. He was married to Judith Snider for almost 50 years-a bond that was a significant part of his life. Owen is survived by Judith, son Jonathan (J), daughter-in-law Ramona, and grandchildren Calvin and Liesl.
Owen enjoyed a long career as Executive Director of the Alberta Law Foundation. His dedication helped shape the legal and charitable community in Alberta. His strong belief in the foundation model led him to take on a leadership role across Canada and the United States. Committed to giving back, Owen participated with many charitable organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Calgary Public Library, Ottawa Mission, The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, and most recently Hospice Renfrew. Growing up on a farm instilled in him a love for gardening. This time of year meant you could always find Owen wearing his Tilley hat while planting or digging-often battling black flies and mosquitoes! Traveling brought him joy too; whether it was pulling a tent trailer through the Rockies back in the ‘70s or hiking in Switzerland during the 2000s. His last adventure was to Belgium in October 2025 where he managed to walk 18,000 steps just to uncover some hidden landmark-it felt like an ordinary day for him.
Owen’s life showed incredible resilience as he battled lymphoma three times. He became one of the first successful recipients of CAR-T cell therapy through an innovative clinical trial conducted at The Ottawa Hospital. Proudly becoming a patient spokesperson for this program inspired others.
When people remember Owen’s life they will think about his bravery during tough times but also celebrate his zest for living fully, his sharp sense of humor, loyalty to friends, and deep love for Judith along with J, Ramona, Calvin and Liesl.
If you’d like to honor Owen Snider’s memory with a donation, contributions can be made to The Ottawa Hospital Foundation or the Renfrew Victoria Hospital Foundation.
To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Owen Snider, please visit our Tree Store.
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