Allan Donald Sniffin

Allan D. Sniffin, 81 of The Villages, Florida, passed away on September 15 after a long illness. He was the husband of Deanne (Engstrom) Sniffin. 

The son of the late Donald and Lois (Sauer) Sniffin, Allan was born on November 9, 1942, in Danbury, Connecticut. He graduated from Danbury High School and then earned a bachelor of arts in English from Rutgers University in 1964, where he played baseball and belonged to Alpha Chi Rho. Allan also earned a master of science from the University of Bridgeport in 1970, along with advanced degrees in Counselor Education in 1972 and Administration and Supervision in 1974. For many years, Allan performed fife with the Germantown Ancients Fife and Drum Corps. He also was an Eagle Scout, earning his badge in 1958.  

Allan married Deanne at First Methodist Church of Danbury in 1966. After being drafted into the U.S. Army, Allan served at Fort Rucker in Alabama before being honorably discharged as a Spec. 5. He then taught English for 36 years at Danbury High School, where he also served as the interim head of the English department and assistant principal at various times. Upon his retirement in 2000, the Connecticut House of Representatives awarded him an Official Citation for his dedication to his school and its students. 

Allan also served his community of Brookfield, Connecticut, as a Selectman for 14 years and on the Zoning Commission for roughly a decade before that, leading as its chair the years it established new zoning districts still in effect today. In 1997, the Connecticut General Assembly awarded him an Official Citation in recognition of his 26 years of public service. 

Allan also was a long-time member of the Brookfield Lions Club, which he led as president in 1998-1999. With the Lions, he helped establish the New Year’s Day Run for Sight to raise funds for eye research and vision care. The race is now in its 37th year, and its success earned him the Connecticut Lions Knight of the Blind Award. The Lions Clubs International Foundation also named him a Melvin Jones Fellow for his dedication to humanitarian services. 

An avid golfer, Allan joined the Rock Ridge Country Club in Newtown, Connecticut, when he retired, and he and Deanne began traveling extensively throughout the United States and Europe. They moved to The Villages full-time in 2011, where he scored a hole-in-one at De La Vista that same year. Allan was an enthusiastic volunteer at the Mark Twain Library at the Paradise Rec Center, a member of the Rutgers Alumni Club and the Brookfield Dinner Club, and a devout member of Hope Lutheran Church, where he volunteered for its Lake Weir food bank.  

Allan is survived by his wife Deanne, his daughter Tricia (Branden) Ritchie of Mt. Vernon, Virginia, his son Tim (Debbie) Sniffin of New Market, Maryland., his brother Gary Sniffin of Yuma, Arizona, and his grandchildren Caden and Hannah Ritchie. He is preceded by his father, his mother, and his father’s second wife Helen (Knapp). 

A Celebration of Life will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. on Oct. 6 at Laurel Manor Rec Center in The Villages. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 7 at Hope Lutheran Church in The Villages. Burial will follow at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, FL.  Arrangements are made by Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services; 

In lieu of flowers, donations in Allan’s name may be made to Hope Lutheran Church for the Lake Weir Food Pantry. New and gently used books also may be donated to the Mark Twain Library at Paradise Rec Center.