Praise abounds for all-around newsman, commentator, and presidential press secretary Tony Snow — “the best ever, without qualification,” says John Podhoretz.
He could speak with fluency, honesty, wit, and clarity on every subject under the sun; he remained poised, unruffled, and as sure of himself at the podium in the press room as he was on that boat in the Potomac nearly two decades earlier.
But this from Brendan Miniter tells about him in a way most memorably:
I last saw Tony several years ago as he was heading out the door of a Starbucks in Alexandria, Va., on his way to work. He wasn’t rushing. He had time for a man who was asking for spare change. Tony reached into his pocket, dug out several coins and at least one bill and handed it to the man. I saw Tony step closer to the man and heard him ask how he was. As the door closed, I couldn’t hear what else he said, but as Tony walked away both were smiling.
Confident in his benevolence.
Blithe Spirit 
The Gates of heaven swung wide open when he approached.
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Tony approached death with courage and an unshakable faith as a deeply religious man. He didn’t fear what awaited him. I’m sure Tony, given a choice, would have preferred to stay living among his loved ones here on earth, but he was ready to go when his Maker called him home to be with Him. Tony gave his full devotion to family, to country and to his God. His was a life well lived. While we mourn Tony’s death and offer up prayers for his family, let us remember that Tony was a good and faithful servant. This is his legacy, and that which we must never forget, as Tony remains larger than life in our fond memories of a life that was well lived during his time as a mortal here on earth.
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