The motorcoach community is mourning the loss of two industry veterans, Priscilla Snow in Connecticut and Bob Nagel in Edmonton, Alberta.
Both are being remembered for their contributions to the motorcoach industry.
Industry veteran Priscilla Snow
Priscilla (Collins) Snow, 90, of Post Road Stages and a member of the New England Bus Association, died of pancreatic cancer at home, surrounded by family, in South Windsor on June 4.
Snow carried on the legacy of her family business for decades, leading the company past its 100th anniversary and eventually handing the reins to the next generation. She was a dedicated member of the Connecticut Bus Association, and could always be counted on for excellent recommendations for venues for legendary holiday parties, according to the New England Bus Association.
Snow, who attended the University of Connecticut, was married to James W. Snow Jr., for 57 years. The couple raised their two children in South Windsor.
She is described as someone who “was always willing to help, was a great friend and a quiet leader.” Snow was named Business Person of the Year in 2003 and inducted into the South Windsor Hall of Fame in 2015.
She was employed in the 109-year-old family business for 62 years, retiring at the age of 88 as CEO of Post Road Stages, Post Road Tours and Collins Bus Services in 2020. She maintained membership in the American Bus Association, the New England Bus Association and the Connecticut Bus and Tourism Board.
She also loved to travel: Post Road Tours, riverboat cruises, visiting Germany, Ireland, and Greece, or celebrating many Final Four Championships with the UCONN women’s basketball team, according to her obituary.
Canadian Bob Nagel
Canadian Bob Nagel died May 19 with rock ‘n’ roll music playing in the background. Music and travel were his passions, starting his adult career at a young age working with music promoters and big-name stars, and eventually owned Nagel Tours and Nagel Coaches, according to an obituary shared by the Ontario Motorcoach Association (OCMA).
Nagel moved to Edmonton in 1962, eventually marrying and settling down to raise a family. He and his wife, Pat, both come from an entertainment background and have always been very involved with music.
He was instrumental in starting several marching bands in the Edmonton area, including the Alberta All Girls Drum and Bugle Band, the largest of its kind in the world. The Alberta Girls performed for many international events in North America and Europe. Their first overseas performance tour was highlighted with an invitation to perform for the traditional “Lighting of the Flame” that signified the start of the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.
The National Film Board of Canada produced the film, Alberta Girls. across Canada, The band’s last European tour in 1977 included performances in 13 countries and featured a performance for Pope Paul VI at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy.
During his travels in Europe, Nagel was impressed with the motorcoach companies that organized tours for seniors. He returned to Canada with the idea that they could do the same thing.
He wanted to improve on the quality of motorcoaches that they used for their band performance tours and could do this if they used the coaches year-round rather than just during the summer season.
In the 1970s, the transportation industry was very regulated. When they made an application to the Alberta Transportation Board to provide a motorcoach service for senior citizens, every major carrier opposed the application.
After several long and expensive public hearings over three years, where more than 100 senior citizens spoke on their behalf, Nagel finally had the operating authorities they needed. Nagel Tours and Nagel Coaches provided escorted group tours to destinations throughout North America using their own deluxe motorcoaches for almost five decades.
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