BRISTOL, Maine — Years ago, when he was a young man, Steve Hendrix made a seemingly simple decision about shaving.
"I shaved once, probably 50 years ago," Steve said. "And that was enough, and I grew the beard."
Over time, as beards will do, his changed color. It eventually became white—which is one big reason a neighbor in Massachusetts with a Christmas tree farm asked Steve to dress up as Santa Claus.
It's a request that changed his life.
"Jeanne [his wife] had got me a suit off the Internet, and I put that on and fell in love with it. I was really sold. I really loved doing it."
With the right look and a prodigious laugh, Steve was a natural. He was asked to be Santa for some photo studios, so parents could bring their kids, and even their pets for Christmas card photos.
In short, the longtime owner of a car repair business became hooked on portraying Santa.
"This is a great look for me," Steve laughed, describing his first look in the mirror in full Santa regalia.
Jeanne agrees that it was, as he said, "a great look."
"I had no idea I would be involved in the Santa world as much as I have been," she said.
They have both embraced his role as Santa, traveling together to weekend photo stints in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, even after the couple moved to Maine four years ago.
"I didn't have any idea what it was going to be like with the kids," Steve said. "And from the first one to I just did a job the other day, it's the same thing, 10 years along, with thousands of kids. And it's exciting every time."
Jeanne says her husband was made for the role.
"He is a big kid. He's kind of a softie," Jeanne said of her husband. “But to watch them respond to him, that was a big surprise to me because I didn't realize he had the ability to bring that out of a kid."
Steve sold his car repair business and "retired" to Maine—but had to do something. He now works for the Bristol Parks Commission, caring for Pemaquid Beach and helping to take care of the lighthouse park at Pemaquid Point. His ability to build things and fix things make him valuable, but so does the personality, and the big laugh—and maybe the beard.
"He's a great guy," Parks Commission Chairman Clyde Pendleton said.
But the parks work is mostly a warmer weather job. When fall comes along, its time for Santa.
"It's like the moment he puts on that suit, he is transformed into this other person. He really can reach people," Jeanne marveled.
She takes a wide range of photos of her Santa in different suits in different places, using them to create annual Santa calendars, with proceeds going to charity.
Being Santa continues to be great fun, Steve says, and the source of great memories, which become stories he will gladly share. Stories of thousands of kids, most happy, but a few sad, where Santa had to step up and reassure a child that life, and Christmas, will be OK.
"So I keep a list of unusual names," he explained, beginning the story of one boy who was waiting to visit Santa. "And he says, 'Do you know my name?' I said, 'It's Herman.' He stops and looks funny, and the mom and grandmother standing behind him look [startled]. And I said, 'I guessed right?' And he said, 'No, that's my daddy's name and he is in Heaven.' And I couldn’t just let that go, so I took his hand and hugged him a little bit and said, 'I know." And then said, 'Daddy Herman, he's OK, he's warm and he's safe, and don’t worry about him. He is very proud of you.' And the parents, the mother is behind there and she is a mess, but he was just wonderful. So up front with that and he talked about what he'd like for Christmas, and he thanked me and said, 'I love you Santa.'"
Visits like that, Steve and Jeanne say, make the travel and the time and the responsibility of bring Santa, all worth it.