LISBON — The flag at Lisbon Village Hall has been lowered to half as the village mourns the loss of longtime public servant Jeff Snyder.

Snyder, 74, passed away unexpectedly Tuesday, following a brief illness.

“Lisbon is saddened by the passing of Jeff,” Mayor Pete Wilson said. “He served in many capacities in many roles for many years. He will be missed.”

Snyder was a predecessor to Wilson in the mayoral office. Snyder was appointed to replace Willis Coleman to lead the village in 1995. He would win re-election and hold the office until 2003.

Under Snyder’s leadership, the village made strides, including a securing $275,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to pay for the Downtown Economic Development Project Phase Two. According to Wilson, that program spruced up the downtown by putting the electrical wires underground as well as putting in pedestrian access ramps with ADA standards and new signage and posts. Indeed, Snyder left the village better.

Nine years later after leaving the position of mayor, Snyder returned to Village Hall in 2012 as a member of council where he dutifully served as a voice of the village and dedicated his time to various committees including the council’s economic development committee, helping promote and foster Lisbon’s economy. He was a member of council until 2019, choosing to not seek reelection.

Snyder didn’t stay away from civic service for long. In 2022, he was appointed to the Board of Public Affairs (BPA) where he helped oversee the village’s water and sewer systems and remained a member until his death.

Bill Hoover, chairman of the Lisbon BPA, expressed condolences to Snyder’s family and lamented the loss of not only a colleague but a friend. That friendship spanned decades. Aside from serving together on the village’s water board, Hoover also worked beside Snyder at Bruce Mansfield coal power plant in Shippingport for over 30 years.

“Jeff was just a great guy,” Hoover said. “He was an asset to the board and certainly an asset to the village. He will be missed. Like I said, he was just a great, great guy.”

selverd@mojonews.com