Leon Mandel III
DETROIT-Leon Mandel III, publisher emeritus of AutoWeek, a sister publication of Tire Business, and a vice president of Crain Communications Inc., died March 5. He was 73.
Mr. Mandel spent 40 years writing and reporting on the automotive industry. He joined Crain in 1983 as editor of AutoWeek and was named publisher in 1988. In 1989, he became a company vice president. Besides working for AutoWeek, Mr. Mandel served as editor of Competition Press (AutoWeek's predecessor), senior editor at Motor Trend and managing editor of Car and Driver.
In 2000, he received the Automotive Hall of Fame Distinguished Service Citation.
Thomas Cooney
AKRON-Thomas R. Cooney, a former editor of Tire Review magazine, died unexpectedly March 4 at his home in Akron. He was 59.
Mr. Cooney worked at Tire Review from 1979-1988, starting as an assistant editor and rising to the publication's top editorial position in 1987.
After leaving the magazine, he worked in public relations and was self-employed as a free-lance writer. In addition, he had been a part-time teacher at the University of Akron and was employed part time in commission sales at Sears, Roebuck and Co.
He is survived by his son and daughter, two brothers, and a sister.
Robert H. Snyder
SUDBURY, Mass.-Robert H. Snyder, 83, a former materials scientist at the old Uniroyal Inc. who in retirement became a consultant in tire recycling, died Jan. 27 in Sudbury.
A native of Great Falls, Mont., Mr. Snyder worked for the United States Rubber Co., which later became Uniroyal, from 1942-1987.
Upon retirement from Uniroyal, Mr. Snyder founded Tire Technology Inc. in Grosse Pointe, Mich. He also served as chairman of the Highway Tire Committee of the Society of Automotive Engineers.
He is survived by his wife, Evelyn, and daughters, Cornelia Snyder, founder of JaiTire Inc., which markets crumb rubber turf dressing; Lucinda Lagasse and Christine Gross.