Central Hawke's Bay will be missing a Santa this year, with the passing of a bearded gent whose face was often recognised by the district's children.
Colin Heyward died last month after a short illness, and his funeral in Waipawa's St Peter's Church was a testament to his service to the community as a Freemason, recently attaining the role of past senior grand warden; as Waipawa and District RSA vice-president and more recently president; and more recognisably for the younger community members — Santa.
While it was Colin's long service of 47 years as a Freemason that earned him his prestigious promotion last year, and his Royal New Zealand Navy career and 40 years on the Waipawa and District RSA committee that earned him his presidency, it was his impressive beard, largely unshaven since its inception in 1972, that earned him the title of Santa.
Colin had, over the years, been called upon to play Santa rather a lot and he was frequently recognised in CHB's streets and supermarkets by star-struck kids.