Richard (Dick) Snyder graduated from Eastern University in 1974 with a BA in History and Political Science. His love of hunting ducks and geese led to his desire to start carving decoys. At that time there were no carving instructors in his area, so he learned by reading books and watching videos and just carving. Although he started carving decoys, he now prefers to carve songbirds and raptors.
Dick currently belongs to the Lancaster County Woodcarvers, William Rush Woodcarvers and Delaware Valley Woodcarvers. He competes at these shows and has won several Best of Show ribbons and scores of blue ribbons. He also competes at the Ward World Carving Championship Show. In 2013 he won Third Best of Show in the Intermediate Class. He moved to the advanced class and continues to win ribbons. Dick is a respected judge at local woodcarving shows as well as at the Ward World Carving Championship Show.
He has been teaching private classes for several years and has been asked numerous times by clubs and organizations to demonstrate carving techniques, habitat making and airbrushing. He also teaches weekly lessons to a recently organized carving club at Shannondell Retirement Village. He enjoys sharing his love of carving and is very proud when he sees the smiles on the faces of his students as they learn to carve.