Alumni inducted into Hall of Fame
We celebrate the recent achievement of two Rockway alumni who were recently inducted into The Waterloo Region Hall of Fame on April 30, 2017.
Abner Martin entered Rockway in 1948 and through the tutelage of Lois Buckwalter, Rockway’s first music teacher, “fell in love with Bach!” Martin recalls fondly of his days at Rockway, being exposed to the music of the masters, alongside singing in the choir and the popular male quartets that were the rage during those years. Now almost 70 years later, Martin has been inducted in the Hall of Fame, honoring his work in the Waterloo Region as both a choral musician and cattleman. After his impressionable years at Rockway, he pursued a Bachelor of Music degree in music education from the University of Toronto, followed by a Master of Music degree in music literature and vocal performance from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. In 1955, Martin became the founding conductor of Menno Singers. Alongside his music career, he bred Charolais beef cattle, which led to purchasing a farm and dairy herd, which was considered a demonstration farm for conservation management practices.
Donald Allan Snyder graduated from Rockway in 1959, son of Maple Lane Dairy co-owner, Etril Snyder. He worked at Maple Lane after completing university and established a lab at the Kitchener plant, followed by several executive posts with Beatrice Foods and Parmalat. His work included writing regulations for food safety, food specifications, and developing food standards so that the food we eat is safe and properly labelled. He was made an honorary lifetime member of the International Dairy Federation Canada for his outstanding contributions to the Canadian Dairy Industry. Don has fond memories of his Rockway experience, including the steady and dedicated influence of Rockway faculty who held a strong esprit de corps, as well as the solid community he felt around him.
Congratulations to Abner and Donald, two Alumni who have continued to be ‘responsible, globally-minded, compassionate and reflective learners’ long after their years at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate.
