
TERRY "DUKE"
SNYDER
BUILDER
HOCKEY
CLASS OF 2010
Terry Snyder was a high school teacher, coach, and convener who contributed to the development of several of Windsor’s finest athletes over the course of a decades-long career. He memorably won eight WSSAA Hockey titles.
Snyder was born on August 5, 1932 in St. Lambert, Quebec. He grew up in Montreal, where he became a standout multisport athlete at Loyola High School and developed a passion for coaching at an early age. Later, Snyder attended St. Joseph Teachers College, which is now part of McGill University.
In 1954, Snyder moved to Windsor to enroll at Assumption University. Following graduation, he took at job at Assumption High School, where he began to coach football, hockey, swimming, track and field, and cross-country under the legendary Father Ronald Cullen. Synder also inaugurated a soccer team at the school, which he coached himself.
Synder stayed at Assumption until 1962, when he transferred to Riverside Secondary School. For 36 years, Snyder found great success coaching several sports at the school. Most impressively, Synder coached 15 his Riverside Rebels hockey teams to the WSSAA Finals. He won eight titles and, on four occasions, advanced to the OFSAA Championships. In 1988, Synder and Riverside won the provincial championship. He also won two International High School League titles while at Riverside.
Snyder was also a league convener for WSSAA for most of his time at Riverside. Outside of the school system, he worked actively with Riverside Minor Hockey and the Riverside Legion Track Club. He was also the Director of the International Freedom Festival Track and Field Meet from 1967 to ’90.
Several of Synder’s hockey players eventually reached the professional ranks, including Ed Jovanovski, Ted Bulley, Ron Friest, Bob Parent, Jack Kelly, and Kieth Kokkola.
Snyder’s dedication to the sport of hockey was recognized by OFSAA in 1995 with an award for Leadership in School Sports. He also received the 2007 Sport Achievement Award from the University of Windsor.



