Richard A. Snellgrove

Richard A. Snellgrove, 87, of Danvers, Massachusetts, passed away on July 20, 2025, in his home surrounded by his loved ones. He was the husband of the late Ann (Durgan) Snellgrove.

Born in Mt. Vernon, New York, on December 27, 1937, Richard was the son of the late William and Agnes Ethel (Riggs) Snellgrove. He was predeceased by his older half-brother William Snellgrove.

Richard was raised and received his early education in New York. He received his bachelor’s degree from Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, his PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and did postdoc research at Cornell University in New York. Richard had a long professional career as a chemist. He moved to Danvers in 1984 to take a position at GTE/OSRAM Sylvania, where he achieved multiple patents and from which he retired in 2009.

Richard was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hiking, camping, canoeing, and kayaking. He was a member of the Trustees of Reservations and the Essex County Greenbelt Land Trust, and he loved his volunteer work with both organizations, as well as his earlier volunteer work with the Appalachian Mountain Club. He is credited with conducting extensive surveys and documentation of river birch trees for the Native Plant Trust’s Go Botany project, as well as work for MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, which included his local discovery of Liatris Novae-Angliae and his efforts towards its repopulation.

He had treasured friends at the YMCA in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

He is survived by two sons, Thomas and his wife, JoyEllen, of Wakefield, Massachusetts, and Wayne of Saskatchewan, Canada; three grandchildren: Alex, Tobi, and Catherine; family member Charlotte Miller of Florida; as well as his dear friend Deborah Todd and her husband, Bob Lucek, of Ipswich, Massachusetts.

His Celebration of Life will be held at 10am on Saturday, July 26, 2025, in the barn at the Allyn Cox Reservation, located at 82 Eastern Ave, Essex, MA 01929. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Richard’s name to The Essex County Greenbelt at https://www.ecga.org/support/donate. Directions and condolences are available at www.LyonsFuneral.com