Rodney Snater, age 70, of Bolingbrook, Illinois, passed away on August 2nd. He was born on November 3, 1955, in Britt, Iowa, to Ronald and Mary Snater.

Rodney spent 30 years working for Republic and Crown, where he took pride in his work as a garbage man, showing up every day with the same steady dependability his family and coworkers came to count on. He later worked in the meat department at Meijer, where his warmth and genuine interest in people left a lasting impression on the community he served.

An avid cyclist, Rodney loved nothing more than riding the DuPage River Trail alongside his wife Ruth, and he was just as happy wading into the DuPage River itself, searching and playing with his grandchildren. Whatever the challenge — physical or otherwise — Rodney never did the bare minimum. He met every obstacle head-on and pushed himself to do more than what was asked, a trait perhaps best captured by his habit of sprinting up hills rather than simply walking them.

Rodney also poured countless hours of labor into building a pond in his own backyard, all so that he and Ruth could spend their evenings together in the shade beside a babbling waterfall. Over time, the pond became its own little community — friendly ducks, frogs, chipmunks, and birds all found their way there, turning Rodney's hard work into a peaceful gathering place he and his family cherished together.

Above all, Rodney loved to evangelize. He never missed a chance to tell someone that Christ Jesus loved them, and he had a gift for noticing people others might overlook — a cashier at the grocery store, a stranger at church he hadn't yet met. He would stop, take a moment, and truly get to know them, often leaving them with an encouraging word or a genuine compliment. Rodney worked hard to provide for his family, rising early for work every morning, and no matter how tired he was, he made time each day to read the Bible and start his morning with Jesus.

He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Ruth; his children Angie, Jamie, Sarah, Michael, and Michelle; his grandchildren Luke, Joshua, Noah, and Grace; and his siblings Cindy, Robin, Penny, Debby, Michael, and Ronald.

A visitation will be held at The Compass Church,1551 Hobson Rd, Naperville, IL 60540, on Saturday, August 8, 2026 from 10am until the time of the memorial service at 11am. The service will be livestreamed through this link: Memorial Service for Rodney Snater.

In lieu of memorial gifts please direct a gift or kind act toward your neighbor.