A tale of two brothers

Two brothers; two similar yet different lives. Richard Snelling: Born in Allentown, Pa., in 1927 to inventor and chemist Walter O. Snelling. The senior Snelling is best known in scientific circles as the discoverer of propane and a liquified petroleum gas technology pioneer. Richard was the governor of Vermont several times during the 1980s. He was reelected during the 1990 election but died abruptly of a heart attack having served only a few months of what became his final term in 1991. Upon Snelling's passing, Lt. Gov. Howard Dean (D) was sworn in as governor. For Vermont Republicans, Snelling's death was a profound loss on many levels. It was not until the election of Gov. Jim Douglas in the 2000s that Republicans returned to the governor's chair in Montpelier. Snelling's beloved wife Barbara carried on her husband's centrist governing legacy for a few more years. She served quietly as Vermont's lieutenant governor for two terms during the mid 1990s. She probably would have been elected governor in 1996 but she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage during the heated campaign. Gov. Snelling was a likeable member of the moderate wing of Vermont's Republican Party, back in the days when both political parties tolerated moderates. Growing up in the shadow of his famous father, Richard left the family and his younger brother, Charles, behind in Pennsylvania. Richard settled here in Vermont where his interest in business and politics blossomed. Richard served in the Vermont House of Representatives for six terms. He ran for the U.S. Senate in Vermont in 1986, but lost to U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D). Today, we honor the legacy of Gov. Snelling through the good works of the Snelling Center for Government at the University of Vermont. Charles Snelling: Born on Allentown, Pa., in 1931, Charles, the younger brother of Vermont Gov. Snelling. The two brothers were close; they kept in contact even as their lives became more complex and their careers took different paths. A businessman, engineer, Pennsylvania Republican, civic volunteer, and aviation advocate, Charles was appointed to several federal boards as well as the boards of Dulles and Reagan international airports in Washington, D.C. Like his larger-than-life father, the younger Snelling was an inventor. He founded Cryo-Therm, Inc., during the 1950s where he developed 20 patents in the fields of cryogenics. While never achieving the national visibility of either his father Walter or his governor-brother Richard, Charles managed to emerge, in his own right, from the shadows cast by older Snellings. But after a long, successful career, Charles' life turned tragic. On March 29, 2012, in Allentown, Charles took the life of his ailing wife Adrienne, then his own. Charles' family and friends reeled with the horrible news of the couple's bizarre death. Both brothers, Richard and Charles, were well liked in Allentown although residents knew the younger Snelling better; he hadn't strayed from the family's hometown nest. "For the past several years our mother had been afflicted by Alzheimer's and together they struggled greatly to manage the effects of this devastating disease," the Snelling family's public statement said at the time of Charles' suicide. "He could no longer bear to see the love of his life deteriorate further; our father ended our mother's life and then took his own life as well." Two brothers; two similar yet very different lives. (Photo courtesy of Cedar Crest College)

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