Loretta DeJulian Snider

Loretta DeJulian Snider, or Rae Rae as she liked to be called, passed away Sunday, August 7th. She passed peacefully in the family home. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in late December of 2015 and fought this horrible disease with strength, courage & dignity. She was born to the late Rocky and Ernestine DeJulian in Detroit, Michigan on Friday, December 13th. She graduated from Cass Tech High School where she was captain of the cheerleader squad and voted \"Most Radiant\" her senior year. During her high school years she was an accomplished singer and ballerina. She had her own radio program out of Windsor, Canada. She studied ballet with Maria Tallchief and was selected to perform in the Nutcracker Suite Ballet with the Philadelphia Ballet Company at the Masonic Temple in Detroit. On September 24, 1955 she married John Mansfield Snider of Cadillac, Michigan, whom she met on the slopes of Caberfae Ski Area. She moved to the shores of Lake Cadillac where she would enjoy her lakefront views for the next 60 plus years. Being of Italian heritage, Loretta\'s mother ,\"Tillie\", followed Loretta to Northern Michigan and started the family business, The Marina Ristorante. Loretta would carry on the family owned business, overseeing the management & preparation of the home made sauces, pastas & desserts long after her mother passed. The Marina was her home away from home and was a gathering place for many celebrations for family, friends, and the community. Working in the restaurant was a rite of passage for Loretta\'s children and grandchildren as she taught them values like integrity, hard work, and fairness. Loretta was quite proud of her Italian roots and traveled to Italy several times with different family members, visiting historical sites and family relatives. Loretta was the great-great granddaughter of the Countess Vago of Milano, allowing her the title of Contessa Loretta. On her father\'s side the lineage is tied to the House of Julius by ancestors serving as a senator on Julius Caesar\'s court during the Roman Empire. During her 1994 visit with her father, sister and daughter, she was granted a special tour with the pope\'s emissary to the necropolis underneath the Basilica where the tomb of Saint Peter is located. During that tour she was also granted visits to the Vatican Gardens, the Vatican Mosaic Studio and the Vatican Radio, the first transmitting station built by Marconi so Pope Pius XII could address the whole world on February 12, 1931. This tour was very special for Loretta. During this trip she also gave Pope John Paul II a pair of Nike sneaks for his birthday. This was very meaningful because of Loretta\'s deep devotion to the Catholic Church. Loretta\'s greatest pleasure, next to her family, was her love of music, the opera, the arts, and sports. She had such an amazing voice and was asked to perform at many different venues. She also performed for the USO. She held season passes for the Metropolitan Opera and never missed a performance. She was always the first caller in line to purchase tickets for Michael Moore\'s Traverse City Film Festival. She enjoyed watching all kinds of sports but was particularly fond of seeing her favorite athletes in action including Tom Brady, Steph Curry, and Tiger Woods. This passion for sports is shared by her son-in-law who would call Loretta to let her know what sports were on television each night. They would text each other during the games and this was a source of joy for Rae Rae. Loretta also loved her dogs, and provided a home to many stray dogs she would find in the area. Loretta was very active in the local Cadillac Philharmonic Club (life member and former President), the Cadillac Woman\'s Club (since 1957 and former president), and the Amici Club in the Detroit area. She was a charter lifetime member of the Caberfae Ski Club, a lifetime member of the Wexford County Historical Society, and a lifetime member of the University of Michigan Alumni Association. Rae Rae\'s greatest pleasure was time spent with her family and the many family vacations; in addition to the many trips to Italy, there was Disney World, skiing in Sun Valley or Steamboat Springs, traveling to the beaches of the Dominican Republic, Mexico, or Jamaica, and the many trips to Maine, Colorado, and Washington State. Loretta had the ability to light up every room she entered. She was a woman with class, grace, dignity and sense of style. She was a natural beauty but loved her make up & her gold jewelry. She was original, creative, and unique. She is remembered for her kindness, generosity and her big warm heart. She was full of love and loved by all. She is survived & deeply missed by her husband, John (Jack) Mansfield Snider Sr., her children, Roxane Anderson of Evergreen, CO, John Snider Jr. Of Cadillac, MI, Mark Snider of Cadillac, MI and Rock Snider; of Bellingham, WA, her grandchildren, Tanya Sanger, Travis Snider, Brock Anderson & Amy Moore; her great grandchildren, Colton and Brody Sanger; her sister, Joan Linden; her brother, Ernie DeJulian, her son-in-law Bruce Anderson, daughters-in-law, Julie and Sherri Snider; her dog Bella Bianco; and a multitude of loving friends. The family extends their thanks to her team of physicians and are truly grateful to Dr. Martin Dubravec, a friend and internist, who oversaw her care these past four weeks and guided her two children and caregivers, Mark and Roxane. Memorial contributions may be made in Loretta\'s name to either of these local organizations; the Wexford County Animal Shelter, Cadillac Philharmonic Club, or the Cadillac Woman\'s Club. Anyone wanting to honor her in a mass please call the Pontifical North American College at their USA office at (202) 541-5411 to request a mass be said in Rome at the Vatican for Loretta DeJulian Snider. The Mass of Christian burial will be held 11:00 a.m. Friday, August 12, 2016 at St. Ann Catholic Church with Reverend Father Bryan Medlin as celebrant. Friends may meet the family from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the Peterson Funeral and Cremation Services in Cadillac with the rosary being prayed at 7:30 p.m. Burial will take place at Maple Hill Cemetery in Cadillac. An online guestbook is available at www.petersonfh.com.

Loretta DeJulian Snider

December 13, 2016 - August 7, 2016