Otis Snooks

Otis Henry Snooks, Jr. was born August 30, 1921, on the family ranch east of Bayfield, Colorado, to Gladys Knorr Snooks and Otis Henry Snooks, Sr. He passed away on February 2, 2015 in San Antonio, Texas, at the home of his daughter, Shirley.
Otis was a descendant of some of the first settlers in Colorado and the Pine River Valley. His great-grandparents Hattie Dailey Nelson and Henry Nelson came to Bayfield in 1877, and his grandmother, Josephine Nelson Snooks was the first daughter born in the Pine River Valley. After graduation from Bayfield High School in 1939, Otis began dating his classmate Irma Steele, and they married in Aztec, New Mexico, on December 4, 1943.
In September of 1944, Otis enlisted in the Army and was assigned to the 18th Infantry, 1st Division. He was wounded by a sniper during the Battle of the Rhine River, Bridge at Remagen in Germany, during World War II. Among other medals, Otis was awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his service. He was discharged from the Army in August of 1945.
He and Irma began raising their three children, Marjorie, Howard, and Shirley in Durango, Colorado where he was the wholesale distributor for Continental Oil Company and owner of the Durango Service Station located across the street from the Strater Hotel. He was a Rotarian, a 32nd degree Mason, and a Deacon at the First Presbyterian Church of Durango. He and Irma enjoyed being members of the “Potlickers” where they developed lifelong friendships with Ernie and Peryl Schaaf, Joe and Lucille Shaw, Fred and Mary Helen Watkins, and David and Virginia Weller.
In 1968, Otis, Irma, and Shirley moved to Farmington, New Mexico, where Otis and Irma founded Snooks Oil Company, the Phillips 66 wholesale distributorship. In Farmington, Otis was a member of the Elks Club and he and Irma often socialized with Irma’s many Beta Sigma Phi friends. Otis and Irma were excellent dancers and belonged to several dancing organizations in the Farmington area. They both loved camping and fishing and went to Williams Creek Campground near Pagosa Springs, Colorado, whenever they could.
In 1983 Otis and Irma retired, and began traveling the Southwest in their RV. In 1990, they moved full-time to Bullhead City, Arizona, where they were some of the first residents of the Riverview RV Resort. They worked every day at their full time jobs of gambling “across the river”, in Laughlin, Nevada, and demonstrated the proper way to be retired for their daughter Marj and son-in-law Charlie. In 2012, Irma, his beloved wife of 68 years, passed away. Otis, with loving assistance from Marj and Charlie, continued living in Bullhead City until he moved to San Antonio, Texas, in April of 2014 to live with his daughter, Shirley, her spouse Donna Stevens, and housemate, Nancy Owens who continued to spoil him until his death.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Samuel Snooks, infant twin sons, and wife Irma Steele Snooks. He is survived by his children: Marjorie Lackey (Charlie) Bullhead City, Arizona; Howard Snooks (Jan) Boulder, Colorado; and Shirley Snooks (Donna) San Antonio, Texas; his grandchildren Lee Ann Lackey Littleton, Colorado; Ray Lackey (Myia) Silt, Colorado; Joe Snooks Denver, Colorado; and Corinne Doctor (Garrison) Lafayette, Colorado; and two great-grandchildren Kim and Eli Lackey Silt, Colorado. He is also survived by his brothers Neal Snooks Roseville, California, and Stanley Snooks Surprise, Arizona; and sister, Jeanne Yeager, Scottsdale, Arizona; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Otis was a big, good-looking, witty, and kind man who easily made friends wherever he went. He loved the great outdoors and his stories about growing up in the mountains near Bayfield, Colorado were legendary in their detail, delivery and cadence. He held his listeners spellbound in a manner similar to his favorite author Louis L’Amour. He will be greatly missed.

A service will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, February 28th at Hood Mortuary, Durango, Colorado. Interment will follow at the Pine Valley Cemetery in Bayfield, Colorado. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the Animas Museum at 3065 West 2nd Avenue, Durango, Colorado 81301.