Ernest Neil Snipes

Ernest Neil Snipes lived a tenacious and persevering life from the moment he was born six weeks premature at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, to Tom and June Snipes. The oldest of their four children, he grew up in a military family that moved frequently, including a formative time in Hawaii that nurtured his deep respect for people of different cultures, perspectives, and lifestyles.

At his core, Neil remained a proud Texan who honored his parents’ Wise County roots and cherished his relationships with extended family. His early work as a landman deepened his knowledge of Texas history and eventually guided him toward a different path. Though he was initially uncertain about settling in San Angelo, he came to love West Texas for its wide-open spaces and vast sky. He was known for his colorful Texas expressions, including the memorable “I’m upright and between the ditches,” which carried far more meaning than most understood.

Neil was a smart, curious, and inquisitive man who approached life as a continuous opportunity to learn. A deep thinker who avoided small talk, he encouraged others to think outside conventional boundaries and engage with the world in new ways. Even in retirement, he remained committed to personal and professional growth for his own benefit and that of those around him.

Compassionate and wise, Neil brought a strong sense of responsibility to his relationships and to the larger world. As a psychotherapist, he invested his education, training, dry wit, and genuine care into helping clients, family, friends, and his faith community find healing and positive change. An avid fisherman for decades, he cultivated remarkable patience on the water. After receiving a double lung transplant in 2012, he described his second chance at life as arriving at a fishing tournament already knowing he would win.

No matter the challenge, Neil courageously gave himself fully to it, determined to understand the situation and make the most of every day and every part of himself. He is lovingly remembered by his wife Karen Schmeltekopf, his family members, friends, former clients and colleagues, the University Health San Antonio transplant staff he held so dear, and his beloved dog Gus.