There are going to be many stories about Dennis Van Vuren (June 3 T.O. Acorn, “Man who portrayed Santa at Janss Marketplace dies of a heart attack.”).

Here’s mine:

The first time I met Santa was in 1992. I had brought my kids, along with the kids from the day care where I worked, to the Janss Mall. I see this man in his red suit out there dancing, shaking jingle bells and singing Christmas songs with kids dancing all around him.

I knew then and there, he was not just a “mall Santa,” this was the real Santa. He then went to work, sitting in his sled.

I was so impressed because he took the time to talk with each child. I noticed everyone in line waited patiently.

They all knew they would get their time with Santa to go over their Christmas list.

From that year forward––until my kids were too old to visit Santa––when the Christmas season was upon us, my kids knew where Santa was and had their lists ready. A couple of times over the years I’d go visit Santa to go over my own Christmas list.

I’m glad I went this past Christmas. Once again, he took the time with everyone in line, me included. One thing I loved hearing, when a child would ask what Santa’s favorite cookie was to make sure the right ones were placed by the tree, Santa’s answer was, “I never met a cookie I didn’t like!”

What amazed me was that this man, who we would only see once a year, somehow remembered my name and my kids’ names.

Santa would remind us the reason for the season. The last thing I remember Santa saying as I left, knowing my list had been read and taken to heart, and as he would say to my kids and all the many, many kids and adults who visited Santa over the years, was “God bless you.”

So to Erin, Elyssa, Terry, his father, brothers and Santa’s whole family, I say, “Thank you so much for sharing this special person with all of us. God bless you. And God bless you, too, Santa. We will miss you.”
Anita East
Thousand Oaks