Dale Snelling

Long-time community leader Dale Eugene Snelling, 75, of Noblesville, IN, died Monday, July 18, 2011, with his wife of 34 years Suzanne (Fahrenkamp) Snelling by his side. He was born Dec. 5, 1935, in Lawton, OK.

Mr. Snelling most recently served as a Noblesville City Councilman from 1992 until 2011, three years of which he served as president. He also was a Noblesville School Board member from 1968 to 1984, three years of which he served as president.

Before coming to Noblesville in 1963, Mr. Snelling lived most of his life in West Lafayette, IN, from where he graduated West Lafayette High School in 1953, and then received his bachelor’s of science degree in physical education with a minor in science from Purdue University in 1957. He also was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and played center on the Purdue University varsity football team. He later received his master’s degree in secondary school administration from Ball State University in Muncie, IN. 

Upon graduation from Purdue, Mr. Snelling was named head football and track coach at Knox High School (Knox, IN) in 1957. He also taught driver’s education, health and physical education, and was a volunteer firefighter, director of the Knox Parks Department baseball program and was later inducted as a coach into the Know High School Football Hall of Fame.

In 1963, he moved with his family to Noblesville as head track and assistant varsity football coach at Noblesville High School, where he also taught driver’s education, health and physical education. He left teaching and varsity coaching in 1968 to enter insurance sales, and then in 1973, he became a licensed real estate broker and owner/operator of Snelling Real Estate in Noblesville. He retired from real estate in 2004. From 1973 until his death, Mr. Snelling was a Hamilton County surety bail bond agent.

His love of coaching young people resulted in Mr. Snelling’s greatest impact in Noblesville. He later rejoined the Noblesville High School coaching staff as freshman football lay head coach from 1988 to 1992. He also coached his daughter and others in the summer girls’ softball league.

Many young men will recall him as their Noblesville Grinder football coach. Mr. Snelling was named the first head coach for the elementary (fifth and sixth grades) traveling team. And as one of the founding members, he served on the Noblesville Elementary Football League’s board of directors for 25 years. In 2010, Mr. Snelling was one of three individuals inducted into the Noblesville Elementary Football League Hall of Fame in its inaugural year.

He also served on the Noblesville Boys and Girls Club board of directors for 12 years, was a referee for a variety of sports, and substitute school bus driver for Hamilton Southeastern and Noblesville schools.

Mr. Snelling was preceded in death by his father and mother, Ralph Owen and Nellie Ida (Hiett) Snelling; a daughter, Cynthia Snelling, and a grandson, Dale Milligan. In addition to his wife Suzanne, he is survived by his sister Carol S. Peterson (John R.) of Surprise, AZ; four daughters, Rebecca L. Schroer (Tim) of Brownsburg, IN; Catherine A. and Troy Wilson of Arcadia, IN; Jacqueline S. Brown (Jeff) of Danville, CA, and Jennifer L. Espay of Cincinnati, OH; and eight grandchildren, Emily (Milligan) Denham and Dustin Milligan; Jackson, Alexander and Madison Brown, and Isabelle, Samuel and Elana Espay.

Services for Mr. Snelling include calling on Thursday, July 21, 2011, from 3:00PM – 8:00PM at Randall and Roberts Funeral Home (317-773-2584), 1150 Logan St., Noblesville, and from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM on Friday, July 22, 2011 at the First United Methodist Church (317-773-2500), 2051 Monument St., Noblesville, where the funeral will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Noblesville Elementary Football League and sent to Matt Nelis, president, P.O. Box 805, Noblesville, IN, 46061.

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