He was awarded countless commendations throughout his life, was the first newsagent in NSW to sell Lego and could put a Vickers machine gun together blindfolded, but for all his achievements, it was his family Joe Snare labelled as his biggest success.
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Joseph Edmund Snare died on Sunday, aged 90.
Mr Snare was born at Goulburn on July 23, 1925.
He left school at age 14 and went to work at the Baxter boot factory.
It was a six-year apprenticeship and Mr Snare was named the top apprentice every year.
After 17 years, Mr Snare and his wife Connie, whom he had known since he was a child, started thinking about establishing their own business.
He bought a small shop along Tamworth Street to set up a newsagency, while Mrs Snare stayed at Goulburn with their four children.
After taking 16 shillings and eight pence on the first day, Mr Snare was not confident he would last.
However, not only did the business become successful, the Snare family went on to buy the Talbragar Street Newsagency and build a shopping centre in Myall Street, before purchasing two more newsagencies in Macquarie Street.
Mr Snare attributed his success to using commonsense and being nice to customers.
"It's been busy over the years running four shops and raising eight children," he said in May.
"The family has been our biggest success story. We have 21 grandchildren and in November our 14th great-grandchild is due to arrive."
Mr Snare was a member of the Lions service club for 55 years, as well as a stalwart of the St Vincent de Paul Society.
In 2008 he was named the Western Plains Cultural Centre Ambassador of the Year and in 2009 he was Dubbo Senior Citizen of the Year.
He was the first person on the Emile Serisier roll of honour as part of the Dubbo Rhino Awards.
Mr Snare was also a keen cyclist during his youth.
He won the NSW state cycling championship, three Goulburn championships, the Southern Highlands pace championship and the first Goulburn to Canberra bike race.