By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

Barry Snodgrass shared some “words of wisdom” in a recent interview regarding his being the recipient of a 2023 GHS Distinguished Alumni Award.

His quote: “In God We Trust,” – “The smile on my face doesn’t mean my life is perfect. It means I appreciate what I have and what I have been blessed with. I choose to be happy.”

Travis Mackey, former principal at GHS, who has been named Career and Technical Education Director, was instrumental in organizing the recognition of Distinguished Alumni, and he described Snodgrass as a person who continues to give back to his community…”Barry has done and continues to do much for our community. He has cast a wide net from the positive influence he has had and continues to have in our community.”

Snodgrass developed a dedicated work ethic at a young age when he was a student at the former South School on College Ave. in Geneseo, and served as captain of the patrols for a crossing guard in his fourth year of grade school…”I was to keep South School scholars in line and then I was to keep the high school scholars in line and not let them cut in line when they came from the high school to South School cafeteria for lunch. I also washed dishes in the cafeteria and I made 25 cents a day and saved enough money for a 13” black and white television.”

His education continued and he graduated in 1973 from what was then known as JD Darnall High School.”

After high school, Snodgrass attended Drake University in Des Moines and graduated from Western Illinois University in Macomb with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Law Enforcement Administration and a minor in Murder Suicide Photography.

After serving an internship in Urbandale, Iowa, and later in Urbana, he returned to Geneseo to work in the asphalt company owned by his father, the late Everette Snodgrass, which is also where his brother, the late Jeff Snodgrass worked…”My brother bought my Dad’s business and I owned one-half of it which I sold to my oldest nephew.”

“Went half a block north from the family’s asphalt business and bought Becker & Becker,” Snodgrass said. “I owned and operated the business for 28 years before selling it when I was diagnosed with cancer.”

That diagnosis brought with it 90 radiation treatments, two each day; 17 chemo treatments and Snodgrass added, “lucky 13 operations in Iowa City…I lived through it all, retired and sold my business.”

A member of the Geneseo School Board since 1997, Snodgrass was instrumental in working to change the name of the high school, from JD Darnall to Geneseo High School, (2005) and he commented that the name change helped people find Geneseo on a map.

“We changed the name of the high school library to the JD Darnall Library which kept the name of JD Darnall as part of the school’s history,” he said.

Continuing to support growth for Geneseo schools, Snodgrass said the board held three referendums in their effort to have a new junior high school built near the high school.

“We were building on the 26 acres bought from Ben Ward,” he explained.

And that was just the beginning and Snodgrass listed other benefits that have been added for students in Geneseo schools…“We added a soccer field, tennis courts, softball fields, hard ball field, walking track, new field for football and band and track and field events, athletic building, let alone the Maple Leaf projects at all the schools.”

“The new vocational building (under construction on high school grounds) I believe will be a big hit with students,” he said.

In tracing Snodgrass’ service on the Geneseo School Board, he said, “I watched Kris Hanson leave the board and I jumped, ran for the first time and won a spot. (1997 he estimated). Harold Ford was superintendent of schools then and was a good leader. Scott Kuffel was the next superintendent and Adam Brumbaugh is the current superintendent of Geneseo schools.”

Involvement with Geneseo schools also reached into athletics for Snodgrass as he coached high school girls’ soccer for 11 years.

His service to the community includes continuing to serve on the Geneseo School Board, Henry Stark Special Education District Board of which he also serves as president; and is vice president of the Blackhawk IASB District, and is on the advisory board of Scott County College HVAC.

He is also in Masons, Scottish Rite, served on various committees at his home church, Grace United Methodist in Geneseo; Isaak Walton League, Turkey Federation, Geneseo Education Foundation, was Rotary Exchange chairman and was on the board for the building of the athletic facility on the grounds of the high school.

“I have two more years on the Geneseo School Board before retiring,” he added, and said that will make a total of 28 years, during which he has served as vice president and president in addition to being on various committee and he said, “I loved them all and I have learned a ton from all the people. I never was a straight A student, but have always loved our town. People treat you with honesty and a person needs to give back to the community.”

“There is no perfect job, no perfect wedding, no perfect life that doesn’t require work,” he said, and offered this advice, “Make your word be in stone. Make everything you do be your best.”

He and his wife Lorrie have two daughters and two grandchildren.