Obituary for Del Snow

OBITUARIES

Del Snow arrived in Chapel Hill with her husband, David, and son, Josh, in the early 1990s. She was small in stature but made a strong impression of competence and integrity in getting things done to benefit the town she loved.

Former Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy recalls meeting Del and hearing her excitement about experiencing life in Chapel Hill – a small university town with historic buildings, parks, and tree-lined residential streets, along with a lively downtown music scene and a thriving local newspaper that covered most of the community’s controversies. From the beginning, Del wanted to be involved in current issues and strongly believed that democratic engagement could bring about real change, regardless of the difficulty. 

The North Carolina Department of Transportation identified Weaver Dairy Road as a key cross-connector for Chapel Hill and outlined a plan to build a highway with many new lanes. Del organized the neighbors and led several memorable events. Neighbors held a press conference during rush hour while asking volunteers from nearby neighborhoods to stage a stand-in protest. Mayor Foy invited a high-level NC DOT official to see for himself, and he was taken to a crowded forum of neighbors in Chapel Hill East, who were advocating for a roadway that better harmonized with the neighborhoods. The NC DOT official left impressed, opening the door for the mayor and town staff to negotiate the current roadway design, which today includes bike lanes and amenities.

Del is remembered as a careful and thorough member and chair of the Chapel Hill Planning Board. Council Member Amy Ryan recalls serving with her. Del, she said, believed in the importance of civic engagement, and lived that value, devoting countless hours to work on town committees, advisory boards, community efforts, and advocacy work. She was a tireless champion for what she believed was right and worked passionately on behalf of that vision for Chapel Hill.

Kimberly Brewer, fellow Planning Board member, shares that Del had a tenacious grasp of Chapel Hill’s planning history and could recall relevant details about past planning efforts that would enlighten Board discussions. Del maintained a list of approved development projects that contained helpful factual data for predicting future flooding, such as the number of feet of impervious surface for each project, which was the envy of the Town planning department. 

Del took courageous positions when she believed the process was unfair and even sued the Town while serving on the Planning Board, arguing that the Town had made procedural errors, and a court later agreed.

Del Snow was part of the team that saved the Chelsea Movie Theater by using her facilitative and bookkeeping skills. Her last major contribution to the town was founding a newspaper to replace the loss of the local paper, the Chapel Hill News. The Local Reporter would not exist without her effort, persistence, and leadership. She served as president for several years, bringing grace and civility to everyone who worked with her. David Kiel recalls the thoughtful diligence with which she established the paper, seeking advice from the School of Journalism and other experts. She took pains to involve people throughout the community and to establish the paper as a nonprofit, nonpartisan, neutral vehicle for news and opinion. The Local Reporter drew the attention of social media bloggers who attempted to threaten the paper’s funding. Fred Lampe remembers that Del always responded with accurate, well-worded replies, and she was kind to everyone, no matter the situation. He especially remembers her eloquence in emphasizing the importance of civil dialogue and the need for a strong local press. 

We invite our readers to send their memories of Del’s contributions to Chapel Hill to The Local Reporter.

As a community service, The Local Reporter publishes obituaries of local residents free of charge. Send to editor@thelocalreporter.press.