Carl Sneegas, Jr.

Carl E. Sneegas, Jr., 91, of St. Paul’s, North Carolina, passed away unexpectedly in a car accident on Friday, September 24th, 2021.  He was born June 5, 1930, in Lawrence, Kansas, to Carl E. Sneegas, Sr. and Mable Owen Sneegas.

Carl was preceded in death by his parents and two older brothers, Owen Sneegas and Eldon Sneegas; his first wife Carol Blackwood Sneegas; and daughter Molly Jean Pfeiffer.  He is survived by his wife Carolyn Sue Sneegas of St. Paul’s; daughter Dr. Janiece J. Sneegas (Dr. Mark Klein) of Brookline, Massachusetts; son Mark L. Sneegas (Karla) of Tucker Georgia; son-in-law Bruce Pfeiffer (Dianne) of Grandview, Tennessee; grandchildren Matthew Pfeiffer (Dawnia Powers), Martin Pfeiffer (abd), Dr. Gretchen Sneegas (Dr. Chris Pinzone), Jonathan Sneegas (Katie Blake), and Hannah Klein; great-grandchildren Rowan Powers and Ansel Sneegas-Pinzone; step-daughter Kathy Mouberry and step-son Kevin Johnson.

He was a graduate of Kansas University High School.  Following high school, he joined the US Air Force in 1950 and served his country during the Korean War where he was an instructor in a C-119 Mobile Training Squadron, teaching state of the art radio electronics.  After serving in the military, he worked as a diesel mechanic and heavy equipment operator, assisting as a blasting “powder man”, using high explosives in road construction. In 1957, he was hired by E.I. du Pont and advanced to the position of senior engineer, retiring in 1985, followed by another 15 years as an independent contractor.  During his career with E. I. du Pont he worked at plants in Topeka, Kansas, Florence, South Carolina, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, Buffalo, New York, Wurtland, Kentucky, Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Parkersburg, West Virginia.

Carl was an active member of, and served in leadership roles, in the St. Paul’s V.F.W. Post 8969 and the Fayetteville chapter of the US Power Squadron.   Carl attended the St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church.

Carl was an avid outdoorsman, a boater, fisherman, and hunter; he was a builder and maker all of his life. Together with his father, he built his first house in Lawrence, Kansas.  He knew plumbing, masonry, electricity and electronics, finishing work, remodeling, and all things boats and cars. He was a 4th generation locksmith and safe-cracker, and could pick locks that many considered unpickable.  He was still using his Gravely yard tractor that he purchased second hand in the 1970’s and was using it to cut his grass in September of this year.

His happy place was his workshop where he was a welder & metalworker, and prolific woodworker, turning blocks of wood into beautiful bowls that he didn’t sell but gifted to family and friends across the country, and would donate for sale at charity auctions.

He was an avid reader. Perhaps, he was best known to closest friends for his repertoire of jokes for almost any topic he was given.

Services will be held at a later date.