WHO’S NEW: Pat and Darrell Snider

The state of New Jersey has been put on alert! Two of its prominent, historic New Jersey towns have each lost a resident to the Plantation!

All joking aside, life-long New Jersey residents Pat and Darrell Snider have just moved into their North Carolina home here in our Riverwood neighborhood. And it seems “history” played a big part in their journey.

Darrel, an enthusiastic history lover, was born in Pennington, New Jersey, home of British Quaker leaders Isaac and Edward Pennington, who were kinsman to William Penn, the Surveyor General of Pennsylvania. And Pat was born in nearby Hopewell, which was purchased by the Royal British Governor of West Jersey in the 17th century and acquired notoriety during the 20th century as the site of the Lindbergh kidnapping. Although these two historic and prominent New Jersey towns are in close proximity to each other, Darrell and Pat attended different high schools and didn’t meet until their best friends orchestrated an introduction. They have been arguing ever since about whose New Jersey hometown is the better. Recently, however, Pat and Darrell just might agree that Player of the Year, Ed Mascolo their new hometown here in North Carolina is a pretty great place to be.

About ten years ago, Pat, a pediatric occupational therapist, and Darrell, an electrical engineer, received an advertisement in the mail inviting them to come to the Plantation for a discovery package weekend. They accepted and were intrigued with our community and the beauty of the Albemarle region. At that time, however, many new homes were under construction, and only a few homes were available for resale, which was the housing option in which the Sniders were most interested. While visiting the Clubhouse, Pat spotted a woman she was sure she knew, but just couldn’t place. The woman was Jane McCoy, who some years before had been the kindergarten teacher for some children Pat was seeing for occupational therapy. What a surprising piece of nearly forgotten history!

As their retirement time grew closer, Darrell and Pat visited several communities, traveling up and down the East Coast in search of that perfect location. In June of 2016, they decided to come back to the Plantation for a second look and were pleased to find resale homes available. They hadn’t been planning to buy a home so quickly, but decided they were “in the right place at the right time.” A home in the neighborhood of Riverwood had everything they were looking for.

So, after moving 45 years of married life out of their three-story expanded Cape Cod in Central New Jersey, the Sniders relocated here this past August. They now love living all on one level, and are keeping themselves busy with redecorating, renovations, landscaping, and learning the history of the folks who owned their beautiful home before they did. They are looking forward to visits from Pat’s mother, as well as from their daughter, a geriatric occupational therapist. And helping them get settled is their son Mark, a freelance writer and editor who is staying with them as he awaits his next assignment.

Lovers of boating, fishing, and kayaking, the Sniders plan to get involved with both the Sports Club and the Osprey Yacht Club, and Pat has her eye on the activities sponsored by the Women’s Club. Traveling is also on their retirement agenda, and Darrell, ever the history devotee, is planning some trips to Ireland and Scotland to explore his Irish heritage.

Welcome, Pat and Darrell. Here’s to the making of some wonderful “history” here with us on the Albemarle Sound!