Santa Pat

From the day my family moved into our first Texas home four years ago, we met a man who I will affectionately refer to as Santa Pat. While my family moved to Texas in August-- the hottest, stickiest month in Houston, we got here a few days before the furniture came in the moving van. After sleeping on air mattresses and living out of suitcases for a week, we were more than happy for the furniture to arrive.

I will never forget that miserably sticky day when men and boys from church came to help my husband unload the moving truck. It was Santa Pat who I will never forget. He introduced himself and and his older sons, telling me that he lived nearby and gave me his phone number in case we ever needed anything. I stood in amazement at the kindness of this big, intimidating man, who I barely knew.

As time passed, I got to know Santa Pat and his family better. His daughter often babysat for us and his youngest son went to school with my oldest daughter. My children grew to love his family as we watched his kids go off to college, get married, and start families of their own. He and his wife were the directors of our neighborhood pool and gave my kids swimming lessons every spring.

At Christmas time, Santa Pat, bleached his beard white and could have been Saint Nick's identical twin. One time in church as we sat in a Mormon Sacrament meeting, my son who was about two or three at the time, saw Santa Pat sitting up in the choir seats. My little Zan-man got really excited as he jumped to his feet and stood on the bench in the pew. Pointing to the choir seats, he loudly exclaimed, "Mommy! It's Santa!" Santa Pat was as jolly as I imagine the real Kris Kringle would be. He had a special way with children and often dressed as Santa for Christmas parties.

It was during the fall of 2010 and winter of 2011 that I really got to know Santa Pat when I served as the Ward Choir Director. Thought I have a musical background in piano, I had little choir experience. Though I had been in a college choir for a semester and had sung in other ward choirs, I had never been the director and felt very inadequate. Santa Pat and his wife and son, all were loyal choir members with beautiful voices. I always appreciated their advice and rides to and from church since my family only had one car.

In July of this year, I saw Santa Pat one Sunday before he left on vacation to visit family. Little did I, or anyone else know it would be the last time we would ever see him again. I received word one night that his family had been in a car accident in Eastern Idaho and that it had taken our dear Santa Pat.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I know that Santa Pat is doing the Lord's work on the "other side." While we all miss him, I know that we will see him again. Though his mission on earth was complete, I know he is in a happier, more peaceful place where the spirit of Christmas is everlasting.