Neil Howard Snitman

November 1, 1956 – October 31, 2026

Some people spend their lives searching for the secret to happiness. Neal Howard Snitman seemed to have figured it out long ago: find what makes you happy, surround yourself with good people, and don’t let anyone mess with your routine.

And Neal loved his routines.

For nearly 70 years, the Sheppard and Bathurst neighbourhood was his little corner of the world. Born and raised in Toronto, he never felt the need to venture far from the place he called home. He had his favourite places, his familiar faces, and his own particular way of doing things. Change wasn’t exactly high on Neal’s list of favourite activities, and anyone who knew him understood that was just the way it was.

Wonderfully quirky, famously stubborn, meticulously tidy, and almost always wearing a smile, Neal was unapologetically himself. And that was part of his charm.

He loved watching sports, playing golf, and, in his younger years, spending time out on the water at the family cottage. He appreciated a good meal, preferably one someone else had prepared, and few things brought him more obvious delight than ice cream. Those who knew him can probably still hear that unmistakable, satisfied “Mmmmm… ice cream!”

And somehow, wherever Neal went, he made friends.

Perhaps the greatest testament to that was his extraordinary lifelong friendship with George. More than a best friend, George was Neal’s constant through the years, his trusted companion, and someone he could always count on. From working together assembling kitchens to sharing the everyday moments of life, theirs was a friendship that stood the test of time. George’s family welcomed Neal as one of their own, giving him another place to belong and another family to love.

Family and tradition were woven into Neal’s life. His Jewish heritage and the holidays held special meaning for him. Although he never married or had children of his own, he was surrounded by generations of family who loved him, including his sisters, nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews, all of whom will remember him with love and affection.

Neal certainly enjoyed having people take care of him, but beneath those lovable quirks was a man whose loyalty never wavered. If someone needed him, he came. If you called, he answered. He didn’t need grand gestures or elaborate words to show he cared. He simply showed up. Even shortly before his own unexpected illness, he was visiting family in hospital.

And perhaps that’s what we’ll remember most. Not just his routines, his humour, his love of golf, or his very particular way of doing things, but the quiet comfort of knowing Neal was always there when you needed him.

Neal is lovingly remembered by his parents George and Renee who are waiting to welcome him with open arms, his sisters Gail (Jack) and Bonnie (Jack), and his late sister Sharon; his lifelong friend George and George’s family; his nieces and nephew Michelle, Gloria (Marcus), Jennifer (Dan), and Jonathan (Christine); and his great-nieces and nephew Erin, Samantha, Ruth, Mae, Sarah, Sophie, and George.

Neal passed away unexpectedly on October 31, 2026, following a brief hospital stay, just one day before his 70th birthday.

There is something especially heartbreaking about losing someone who was such a familiar, dependable part of our world. The places will still be there. The golf games will go on. The family gatherings will continue. But there will be an empty space where Neal, with his smile and his wonderfully unique ways, should be.

He lived life on his own terms, found happiness in the things he loved, and left behind more friendships and memories than he probably ever realized.

And somewhere, whenever someone takes that first delicious bite of ice cream, we hope they’ll smile and hear Neal’s voice one more time.

“Mmmmm… ice cream!”

Neal, you were truly one of a kind. And we wouldn’t have wanted you any other way.

May your memory always be a blessing.