James A Snell, Jr

James "Jim" A Snell Jr., 72 Years, of Vermilion, died Sunday, November 19th at Amherst Manor after a brief illness.

He was born July 2, 1951 in Lorain, Ohio and had been raised in Vermilion and called it home the majority of his life.

Jim found a love of radio and broadcasting at an early age. As a child, he would take things apart and try to put them back together, sometimes even successfully. As he got older, he began building his own radios in his room. As a young adult, Jim worked at WBNO in Bryan, Ohio where he hosted a late night show called the “Shadows of Knight with Jim Knight.” After that, he worked at the Coliseum in Richfield covering all the games and concerts high up in the broadcasting center. Jim landed his dream job as a Broadcast Engineer in 1978 when he was hired at Channel 8 in Cleveland. He remained there until his retirement thirty-five years later in 2013.

He enjoyed amateur "ham" radio using the call sign W8DRZ, antique gun collecting, listening to music, spending time with his family, taking road trips, attending gun shows and ham radio festivals, and was an aviation enthusiast. He especially enjoyed spending time with his beloved cat, Topper. When he would be out and about on one of his road trips, he would make a point of getting an Arby's roast beef sandwich and a Jamoca shake (assuming the machine was working), or sneaking a prohibited Mountain Dew from time to time. Jim was also a cancer survivor, having beaten two bouts of malignant melanoma.

He is survived by his son, James III "Jay" (Terri) Snell of Sandusky; daughter, Miranda (Phil) Gammella of Brunswick; granddaughter, Katherine Snell;  sister, Stephanie (Steve) Rose of Columbus; brother, Daniel (Carol) Snell of Vermilion; niece, Lindsey Rose (Michael) and nephew, Craig Snell.

He was preceded in death by his parents, James Sr and Virginia (nee Barnes) Snell and his cat, Topper.

The family will receive friends on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023 from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the Riddle Funeral Home, 5345 South Street, Vermilion, Ohio.  Funeral services will be Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at the Riddle Funeral Home. Pastor André Bernier will officiate.  Interment will follow at Maple Grove Cemetery, Vermilion.

To honor Jim's love for his cat, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to a local animal shelter.

Online condolences may be made at www.riddlefuneralhome.com.