Bryant Davis Snapp, the editorial page copy chief at The Washington Post, died on July 22 in a head-on collision with a water tanker near Toledo, Wash. He was 36.
Snapp was the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper at the University of Virginia, then spent nine years copyediting The Washington Times. He joined The Washington Post in 1999 as a deputy copy editor on the national news desk, and was later promoted to copy chief of the editorial page.
David Hancock, 45, and David K. Ringstrom, 49, were also killed in the automobile accident. Hancock and Snapp were joined in a commitment ceremony in Hawaii last year.
Bryant
You left me six months ago today. I can still remember your beautiful face the last time that I saw it, the mornnig that I drove you to the airport. I remember the back of your fuzzy little head that I felt when I hugged you good-bye. I will always remember all of the wonderful things about you and the life that you and mom and I shared together but, it that still does not take away the awful pain that I will always have in my heart because a piece of my heart was taken from me and I can never get it back. I love you more than peanut butter and gelly.
Love
Joel
January 22, 2004
There’s rarely a day that goes by I don’t think about Bryant and how much I miss him. It still fills me with unspeakable sadness — he left us so soon! This time of year, when the Oscars come up, I remember how much we used to gossip about them, and this is the first year we won’t. I loved you like a brother, and I still do.
AJ
My Sweet Udda, my Bryant, for some reason this morning I was drawn to type your name in my computer. I do this regularly to read the write ups on you. I just discovered the memories written by your sweet brother and realized the sadness of losing such a vital part of our lives will never lessen. You are in my mind and heart constantly and my life has changed so drastically since losing you, you and Joel were my life and I know half of me left with you. Nothing for me will ever be the same, I am really trying to get back to being a good mom and Ma Ma and I know I have changed in the eyes of Katelyn and Emily. All of a sudden their weird, silly Ma Ma isn’t around as much and when she is she is not as silly and funny as she was. I love you my beautiful son and I pray you can feel me living inside you as I do you. I truly believe that when God takes a child he places them back inside the mother, because I can feel you in me constantly. I love you more than peanut butter and gelly.Mom
Bryant,
I still think of things that I HAVE to tell you, and there’s a split second before the terrible realization sets back in.
Bryant, Although you were only in my life a very short time, I came to love you like the friend that you were. I hope you realized what a profound impact you had on David’s life and that (my) Dave was eternally grateful for that. It meant so much to the two of us to be with you and David in Hawaii for your commitment to one another — what a wonderful memory. The last time the four of us were a family together – dinner and a nice drive around Seattle the evening of July 21, 2003 – will forever be instilled in my memory. As we move towards the one year mark, I can only believe that you, David, and my beloved Dave, are forever together and at peace. I love you.
Ted 7/6/2004
miss ya bryant.
Bryant, I have often put your name on my computer just to read about you and all the wonderful memories you have given so many people. I always looked up to you as my cool, smart, older cousin who was always funny and always full of life. I remember how great it was to just be around you. The last time I saw you was on Memorial Day at Aunt Bon’s. I remember how you floated in the pool with your mom and how you splashed a little water on Alex’s feet just to get a smile from him. Your mom is so strong and I definately know that you are with her. I miss you UD and I love you….Love, Katy
My beautiful Bryant, we just spent our fifth Christmas without your physical presence but you stilled filled your brothers living room with memories and your sweet spirit consumed me at times. As I watched Katelyn and Emmy have to wait in their rooms until their daddy had their morning perfectly orchestrated for their surprise and amazement. When the time finally came for Joel to say “Look what santa clause bought”, I videoed them running from their bedroom into a wonderland of family love. Although they were much taller and a bit awkward looking at the santa cookie plate empty and reading the note santa left in thanks for his treat, they were still those sweet babies still warm from their beds, that you always gleefully watched on many similar Christmas mornings. I missed the fragrance of my special gift of Oscar De Larente cologne that was always wrapped so distinctly, saying to mom, love Bryant. You never failed to give me gifts that meant comfort, my goose down pillows and my flannel sheets, my music, my wonderful music and books, my set of glazed, small to very large wicker baskets, which I still keep filled with my Ud music, my Ud books and my warm lap blankets for long evening reads. I miss you most on Christmas eve when you were always mine and we woke up at home together every Christmas morning for every single Christmas of your precious thirty six years of life. You were my son, my best friend and my most trusted confidant and I miss you more every single day.There is such an empty place that only you could fill in Joel and my life. We persevere and I must say Joel has a better grip than I, simply because he is so in love with his girls and does exzactly what he should be doing to fulfll all necessary needs and assure them they are loved unconditionally. I know as stand guard over him and watch the wonderful man he is, you are the proudest brother ever. Mom, Udda and tiny Joful still are together, because he and are never around each other long before the memories start pouring from one or the other of us. One thing time as enabled is that we can now laugh about memories when we three were just hanging out together and you were just being Ud, who said exzactly what you thought with your inepth perception, especially of your brother and I. I love you sweet son and cherish the thoughts of our eternal life together, with no more pain of seperation. MOM
Eight years and the pain of losing is as raw as it was on that horrible July day. I love you my sweet son and cling to special memories.I know you are well and happy and I will see and hold you as soon as God allows. Love, Mom