Tony Snow died this morning. As a political figure, the blogosphere and forums on the net are likely to be full of praise or condemnation, either glorifying him or painting him as less than human. But those who knew Snow uniformly praised his good nature. He was a nice guy.

I blogged about Snow’s faith at A Conservative Christian Considers, and link to his wonderful article about facing death in Christianity Today.

A conservative with good humor, Snow was also known for his candor. As CNN notes in its obituary:

In a November 11, 2005, column, Snow wrote that Bush’s “wavering conservatism has become an active concern among Republicans, who wish he would stop cowering under the bed and start fighting back against the likes of Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Joe Wilson.”

“The newly passive George Bush has become something of an embarrassment,” Snow’s column said.

“I asked him about those comments,” the president joked at the time of Snow’s appointment. “And he said, ‘You should have heard what I said about the other guy.’”

Snow provided a model of how political discourse can be both pointed and polite, how men can conduct themselves with honor and grace without sacrificing their ideals. He will be missed.