The Snellings were known in Allentown as good people. Charles was politically active, embodying the best of the old school Republicans with fiscal conservatism and a social conscience. Adrienne, his loving supporter and foil, was herself an accomplished photographer. Charles wrote an essay which appeared in the NY Times about how it was right and natural to care for his wife when she developed Alzheimers, because she had, in essence, rescued him from the legacy of his dysfunctional family and enriched his life while raising their family. She cared for him and them for 55 years, while he cared for her for six years, saying he certainly had gotten the better end of the deal. It was a shock to the community when Charles and Adriene were found dead in their suburban home just outside of Allentown, Pennsylvania. It seems Charles ended his wife's life and then took his own. While the coroner has not released a cause of death for Adrienne, Charles shot himself. Who might we be to judge? It has been said Charles had promised his wife she would never go to any institution, but with cardiac issues of his own and two knee replacements, he may have feared being unable to keep his promise, or been uneasy about her prospects should something happen to him. In a condolence note, I wrote, "My family's thoughts and prayers are with you during this time. As I now care for someone with dementia, it's easy to appreciate the difficulties and concerns your folks faced. Only your parents, who lived daily with their challenges, could guess at what the future would hold. Not a single person who has not been there and walked in those very stressed and loving shoes can imagine what they would do under similar circumstances. In light of that, it's my hope you continue to focus on the good both your parents' lives produced, and on the love they had for each other. Keep the faith, and know that the day eventually will come when you can think of your folks and smile again."