Les SNAPE Obituary

Les was a true gentleman. He was kind, considerate and caring. Always very approachable, supportive and willing to give his time for others. He lived an extraordinary life, contributed significantly to the OMFS community and will be truly missed.

Dear Ruth, Phil, and Michelle,
Sincere condolences to you all. I recall social get togethers of the English medics of Christchurch Hospital in 1980 onwards. Les was always kind and careful to do his very best for patients whenever we crossed professional paths in Radiation Oncology Clinics, the Hyperbaric Medicine Unit, and general practice.
Best wishes Graham McGeoch

Dear Ruth and family
I was so sorry to hear of Les's passing. He was such a fine, kind and gentle man.

Ruth, In Ward X1 in 1979, I recall seeing a wedding snapshot: the two of you standing on the glacier in front of a small plane, toasting each other with champagne!
What a long and wonderful partnership you shared.
Best regards to you all.
Karen Schaab

Genuine regret I couldn't see Les again after a number of meetings at MaxFac conferences and as a "handed on " friend form Sean Ward my past colleague here in Sheffield who shared a Training life with LS in the UK and was subject to Les trying to entice him to a career in NZ.

I've known Les for about 15 maybe 20 yrs - shared beers and stories and a common attitude to life and surgery - and Im greatly saddened by this news - a real gentleman and eminent by his own abilities and traits, respected across NZ and Aus according to everyone Ive ever spoken to about him .
Sending sad acknowledgements of a productive and transforming career for those who benefitted from his surgical skills . Im missing a mate who I always looked forward to seeing at conferences . Genuine heartfelt condolences to all the family I will remember Les with deep respect and affection .
From a snowy and cold South Yorkshire UK

Austen Smith MaxFac Sheffield UK
Past President BAOMS 2021

To Ruth and family, I was so sorry to hear of Les's death, I know how much he has meant to you. Ruth, you and he were a rare pair and I know you will miss him dearly. My thoughts are with you at this time.

My thoughts are with Les' family - very sad to hear of Les' passing. He was an exemplary health professional and a true advocate of patient-centred care. I feel very grateful to have known Les first as one of his patients, and then in more recent years as a colleague. He leaves a powerful legacy.

Dear Ruth and Family,
Lesley and I were saddened to hear of Les´s passing. He was a good man and we are all the worse for not having us with us. Please accept our condolences.
Bob and Lesley Jones

Dear Ruth and Family.
We are saddened to hear of the passing of Les. We were fortunate to meet Les at the Otago Aero Club in the mid 1980´s where we were young aviators enjoying the thrills of flying. In more recent years we bumped into each other mostly in airport lounges and concerts and reminisced of times past! Les was a friendly, cheerful and down to earth man, truly a gentleman who will be missed by many. Our deepest sympathies. Our thoughts are with you.

A kind thoughtful hard working colleague and friend. My deepest sympathy to his family and friends. Peter Wardbooth

Sincere and Loving sympathy to you all. I worked with Les for a number of years and it was always a pleasure. His legacy will live on. May your memories be a strength as you go forward.

I met Les at Walton Hospital, Liverpool, UK circa 1986/1987.
He was on the Senior Registrar training position and I was an overseas Fellow. Les was extremely friendly and knowledgeable, indeed a superb clinician and a great colleague. The 2 consultants at Walton, Mr Pospisil and Mr Vaughan always spoke very highly of Les, he epitomized knowledge and empathy to all the patients. Latterly when I found out he had moved to NZ I met him regularly at the Queenstown conference, a great guy and organiser. Another young surgeon, James Worthington (deceased), always used to say to me he wanted to follow Les´s training and career.
Condolences to Ruth and family.
Vale Les
From Peter Vickers

Best wishes to Ruth and family. I am privileged to remember Les as a fine surgeon and physician who gave an excellent opinion laced with common sense. He was good company too. KM

Dear Ruth and Family,

I was so saddened to hear of Les´s passing. Please accept my deepest sympathy at this very difficult time.

It was my privilege to work with Les for 32 years. Throughout that time, his kind, empathic nature was always foremost, as was his skill. He had a way of making people feel heard and valued. He will be remembered with great respect and affection, and his presence will be deeply missed.

I hope you can take comfort in the many memories you shared together, and in knowing how much he was valued by others. My thoughts are with you all as you grieve the loss of someone so special.

With heartfelt condolences,

Kate Lagan

A true gentle Gentleman who made a huge impact to this world by just being him. Warm hugs to Ruth and family

Such a wonderfully warm delightful man, inclusive and generous host. Always interesting and interested. I will miss the amusing anecdotes and so much more.

Les was one very special person, an extremely brilliant and caring surgeon who was always there for his patients and their families and whose work and surgical efforts will last forever in the patients whose lives have been transformed by his amazing work. Les was one of life's gentlemen and it was an absolute pleasure to know him, Ruth, Michelle and Phil. Our heartfelt condolences are sent to the family as we know that Les will be so missed by many people, but more so by his loving family. Rest in Peace Les

Was lovely to catch up with Les recently. A great colleague and clinician. Regards to Ruth and famil

Such a beautiful, caring, and respectful gentleman. You will be sadly missed, but we take solace in the knowledge that the world is a better place for your time here. Thank you.

Dear Ruth Snape and family, please accept my heartfelt condolences. My thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time. May his beautiful soul rest in peace. Nick Rubakumar

Something made me to look for Les Snape on google today and found out that he passed away on the 1st of January. I worked as an SHO when he was a Senior Registrar at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Royal Liverpool Hospital. That was my first paid job in U.K. after coming from Srilanka and he took me under his wing and taught me so many things that I still use it when I practice oral surgery at my practice. I still remember with tremendous gratitude, on the first night when the hospital accommodation wasn´t ready, he took me home and fed me and put me up that night. I wish I kept in touch with him all these years but because the love I had for him made me to look for him and I found this sad news. You will live in my heart forever. May your beautiful soul rest in peace. Eternal Rest grant unto you. With love and heavy heart Nick Rubakumar ( SHO in 1985/86)

I was a former pupil of Chesterfield School and was a prefect with Les in 1964-65. Remember his being an excellent hockey player. Didn´t realise that he had moved and lived in New Zealand or I would have got in touch after I moved here with my Kiwi wife in 2003. There can´t be many of the prefects of that year still around.
RIP Les.

Snapes, I´m so sorry for your loss. Les was such a kind and decent man. He will be missed dearly.

Les and I were classmates during our years at Chesterfield Grammar School from 1958 to 1965. He was a stalwart in Lingard House playing hockey for the school and progressing to become a School Prefect. He had a certain charm which few other people had. He had a warm and genuine smile which lifted everyone whom he met. I am not surprised to hear how this warmth helped and supported so many people. Les will be sadly missed and I would like to send my condolences to his family and friends.

So sorry to read of Mr Snapes passing. He did a jaw reconstruction for my daughter many years ago giving her a whole new life full of confidence. He was such a very caring and kind man. Condolences to his family and friends

Sincere condolences to Ruth and family. I always had great admiration for the amount of time Les gave to our house officers/registrars in sharing his skill and knowledge. I have worked at HDS, formally OHC, since 2010 and I don't know if it sealed my being offered the job but I was told later that one consideration was that Les (or to be more true to how I always addressed him, Mr Snape) would appreciate my Britishness.

Vale to a beautiful person and valued friend. Always kind, generous and thoughtful. A great loss to us all. With love to Ruth Michelle and Phil. Fiona and Jimmy

I am so sorry for your loss. He was a wonderful man. I was pleased to have known him.
Germaine

Condolences to the family. Les has been a great mentor to me and many others of the years and certainly I would have been where I am today without his support.

My sympathy to Ruth and family. Les was a respected and thoughtful colleague.Dick Jefferies, Retired Periodontist.

Thoughts and prayers are with the family.
It was a privilege to work with Mr Snape at Christchurch hospital Dental service. His care, expertise and research especially for our patients with cleft and craniofacial anomalies was superb and kind.
A great teacher to house surgeons and registrars coming through the department over the years.
He was always willing to have a chat.
He will be remembered.
Warmest regards
Harriette Van der Zee

Very sad to hear of this. Sincere Condolences to Ruth and family.