The former chairman of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority killed himself and his wife of 61 years at their home in Pennsylvania on Thursday, airports officials confirmed.
Charles D. Snelling, 81, had cared for his wife, Adrienne Snelling, for years since she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
The Morning Call reported that the family sent out the following statement:
Snelling, an inventor active in Republican politics, had served on the authority for nine years after being appointed by President George W. Bush. He chaired the authority from January 2010 to December 2011, then remained on the board. He attended the most recent meeting last Wednesday, airports authority staff said.
The authority controls both Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport but is also managing the Dulles Rail project that is building Metro’s 23-mile Silver Line.
