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THE SNORTON FAMILY HAS A LONG HISTORY IN THE CROFTON, KY AREA. FLEM SNORTON MARRIED MARY WHITNEY ON APRIL 10, 1941 AND ON FEBRUARY 26, 1942 HICKMAN MATTHEW SNORTON WAS BORN. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HIS FAMILY MOVED TO JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA. HE WENT BACK TO CROFTON EVERY SUMMER TO SPEND IT WORKING ON THE FARM WITH HIS GRANDPARENTS HICKMAN AND MARGIE WHITNEY. IN 1956, HE LEFT INDIANA FOR DETROIT DURING HIS HIGH SCHOOL YEARS. HE WAS BLESSED WITH MANY ABILITIES WHICH ALLOWED HIM TO SUCCEED IN SPORTS, MUSIC AND ACADEMICS. HE PLAYED BASKETBALL, BASEBALL AND FOOTBALL VERY WELL BUT DECIDED TO PURSUE FOOTBALL AS A CAREER PATH. HE WORE MICKEY MANTLE’S SWEATSHIRT AND YOGI BERRA’S PANTS AS HE TRIED OUT FOR THE NEW YORK YANKEES AS A HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR BUT HEEDED THE ADVICE OF JACKIE ROBINSON AND CHOSE TO GO TO COLLEGE. HE BRIEFLY ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THEN FINISHED HIS COLLEGE CAREER AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY. HE WAS DRAFTED BY BOTH THE DETROIT LIONS AND DENVER BRONCOS, HE CHOSE TO PLAY FOR THE DENVER BRONCOS IN 1964. UNFORTUNATELY, HIS PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL CAREER WAS CUT SHORT DUE TO AN INJURY. IN 1966, HE CELEBRATED THE BIRTH OF HIS FIRST SON ROY AND THEREAFTER THE BIRTH OF SHANNON IN 1974 AND HOLLISS IN 1977. HE RETURNED TO DETROIT TO GET A NEW START AND FROM THERE WORKED AS A EXECUTIVE AT FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND WAS VICE PRESIDENT AT FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF CHICAGO. HE LIVED IN CHICAGO, CHARLOTTE, ATLANTA, AND CLEVELAND. NO MATTER WHERE HE SETTLED, HE ALWAYS WANTED TO RETURN TO THE AREA WHERE HE IS BORN AND SETTLED IN HOPKINSVILLE IN 1994. HIS MOST PROUD ACHIEVEMENTS WAS RAISING HIS TWO DAUGHTERS AND SERVING HIS COMMUNITY. MISTER MATT AS HE WAS SO AFFECTIONATELY CALLED WAS A LARGE PART OF HOPKINSVILLE. HE WAS ONE OF THE MOST NOTABLE FIGURES IN THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY. HE SERVED AS THE COORDINATOR OF EMERGENCY AND DISASTER FOR 16 YEARS. HE GUIDED THE COMMUNITY THROUGH MAJOR FLOODS, TORNADOES AND ICE STORMS. IN 2006 HE RECEIVED THE W.W. BILL BRYAN AWARD FROM THE PENNY RILE AREA DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT. AND IN 2009 HE RECEIVED AN AWARD OF EXEMPLARY SERVICE FROM THE STATE OF KENTUCKY FOR HIS WORK WITH THE 2009 ICE STORM. TAKE KIDS FISHING DAY WAS ONE OF THE MANY VOLUNTEER EVENTS MATT ENTHUSIASTICALLY PARTICIPATED IN. WHOP LISTENERS WILL REMEMBER HIS PROFILES ON BLACK HISTORY DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY. HE WAS FUELED BY HIS UNDYING LOVE FOR ALL FAMILY MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY HIS DAUGHTERS. MATT LEAVES BEHIND HIS TWO DAUGHTERS SHANNON AND HOLLIS SNORTON, HIS TWO SISTERS MARGIE AND MARY, AND HIS BROTHER ERIC AND GRANDSON CLAYTON CUNNINGHAM. HE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS ONLY SON ROY SNORTON. HE ALSO LEAVES TWO NIECES, TWO GREAT NIECES, ONE NEPHEW PLUS A WHOLE HOST OF FAMILY MEMBERS.