Ex-Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority Chairman, Wife Found Dead

Charles Snelling, the former chairman of the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority, and his wife, Adrienne, were found dead in their Fogelsville, Pa., home on Thursday morning, according to multiple Patch sources in local Pennsylvania politics. Snelling was a prominent GOP activist and businessman who recently stepped down as MWAA chairman.

Adrienne suffered from Alzheimer's disease.

"After apparently reaching the point where he could no longer bear to see the love of his life deteriorate further, our father ended our mother's life and then took his own life as well," according to a statement released by the family Thursday evening, WFMZ-TV reports.

Both were 81. The Snellings are survived by five children and 11 grandchildren.

Charles Snelling was chairman of the board of the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority since 2003. President George W. Bush nominated him to serve on the authority board of directors

Timothy Hennessey, aide to Pennsylvania state Sen. Bob Mensch, called Charles Snelling  "a visionary, an entrepreneur and a friend to us all."

"Their legacy will endure through their generous commitment to Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest College, and many other organizations. My thoughts and prayers are with the Snelling family and all those who know Charlie and Adrienne," he told Patch.

Police and the Lehigh County coroner's office have so far declined to identify the victims pending notification of next of kin. The bodies were found around 9 a.m.

Snelling took part in the "Life Report" project of New York Times writer David Brooks. A Dec. 7, 2011, entry entitled "A Love Story and Redemption," told how the Snellings came to terms with Adrienne's Alzheimer's diagnosis six years ago.

Their romance of more than 60 years began when Charles was a sophomore at Lehigh University and Adrienne was a student at Cedar Crest College.

The Times article quoted Charles as saying, "Although (Adrienne) is a very, very sick puppy, she remains to this day a sweet, happy, loving and generous person. How lucky for both of us. To have such an affliction in the household is a very learning experience... After all, this lady rescued me from a fate worse than death, and for a long, long time. What I am doing for her pales beside all that she has done for me for more than half a century."

Snelling founded a company called Cryotherm and held 20 patents.