LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer directed all U.S. and Michigan flags at the State Capitol Complex to be lowered to half-staff Thursday to memorialize former State Rep. Tim Sneller who recently passed.
Sneller represented Michigan's 50th District and previously worked as a staffer for various state representatives and state senators in the Genessee County area. He spent nearly 20 years on John Cherry Jr.'s staff when Cherry Jr. was a legislator and then lieutenant governor.
He worked at the Flint Truck and Bus Assembly and was active in his UAW local, the governor's office said.
“Representative Tim Sneller served his constituents honorably, and I was proud to call him a friend and colleague,” said Gov. Whitmer. “As a staffer and elected official, Tim was a fixture in the legislature. He was a strong advocate for working families and a willing collaborator with anyone who wanted to make a real difference in people’s lives. My thoughts are with his family, friends, and all those who served and worked alongside him.”
The governor's office said Sneller was a leader and champion for the LGBTQ+ community in Michigan, and someone who worked hard to build bridges across the political divide.
Sneller is survived by his sister, five nephews, niece, other family members and friends.
Flags should be hoisted to the peak first for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The process is reversed before the flag is lowered for the day.
The governor's office said flags should be returned to full staff within the State Capitol Complex on Friday, Aug. 16.
