Builder
The entire Dean Snyder family has made and continues to make a significant contribution to the Clear Lake community. Dean and his wife Joanne and their three sons, Don, Dale and David, have all lived here practically their entire lives.
Dean began his career as a young fellow working for a local contractor, receiving valuable experience in the building trades with his father-in-law. In 1958, he started the Dean Snyder Construction Company. For its first twenty years, the company dealt mostly with residential construction. When his sons graduated from Clear Lake High School, it became apparent they were very interested in joining the company and had the talents to compliment the business. Since that time, 99% of their work has been in the commercial area. The successful company now employs over 100 people and has worked on projects all over the United States as well as on many, many local ones.
One particular Snyder project has significantly impacted Clear Lake: the purchase and restoration of the Surf Ballroom, a local landmark. As a young person who grew up here, Dean regretted the loss of such memorable landmarks as Bayside, the Lake Shore Hotel, and the Blue Horizon Motel. It looked as though the Surf Ballroom would be joining those losses when Mark Arneson, a co-owner of the Surf along with several other civic-minded individuals, approached Dean about buying it. The Snyders looked it over and realized much work and money would have to be invented to bring the building back from near ruin to something near its original state. But the family talked it over and agreed that they should buy and restore it.
Dean laughingly remembers that when a news reporter asked him why they had purchased the Surf, he replied, “I guess because my wife likes to dance!”
Much work, effort and money has indeed gone into the restoration of the beautiful old ballroom. Area residents and many others who come from all over the world to honor the memory of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Bopper, who died in a plane crash after performing at the Surf in 1959, appreciate how well the ballroom has been restored to its original look and feel. As it did when it was built, the Surf again beckons dancers to its tropical decor. Just as famous orchestras and bands from past eras played at the Surf, so do current popular groups draw large crowds today. The Surf is also used for conventions, receptions, weddings, and numerous other special events.
The Snyder family likes to think of the Surf as a “working museum” that draws many people to the Clear Lake area and contributes to the economic well-being of the community. Photographs, autographs, advertisements and other memorabilia from the ballroom’s past are displayed in the lobby and lounge areas.
The success of the Dean Snyder Construction Company is evidence of strong family ties, a good work ethic, a solid educational background, and a commitment to a making their community a good place to live, work and play.
