Trevor Bixley dressed in his Santa suit alongside his sleigh. Photo / Supplied
Trevor Bixley dressed in his Santa suit alongside his sleigh. Photo / Supplied
A man "blessed with the look of Santa" has passed away in the lead-up to Christmas.
Trevor Bixley died from pneumonia on December 7. He was 81.
He was known for working as the Hastings Harvey Norman Santa for 18 years, up until two years ago.
Bixley grew up in Hastings on his family orchard on Grove Rd.
A man of many talents, he worked as a shepherd, a spray painter, at the freezing works, at Wattie's, at the United Empire Box Company (UEB, later known as Kiwi Packaging), was a farmhand, groomer, cowboy, scrap collector, clown and tent boss.
His daughter Deborah Ferrier said he always had a penchant for performing in costume, as he was a member of the Orphans' Club for 50 years, where he would play a female version of himself.
"Something he really enjoyed was making people laugh. He had such a sense of humour."
Trevor Bixley died aged 81 from pneumonia on December 7. Photo / Supplied
He first began donning the big red suit and hat in the 1990s when he was asked to play Santa by UEB.
Ferrier said it was only his first big white beard that was fake - the rest he always grew himself, starting around July every year.
His original Santa suit was made for him by his mother, while his next one that the family still has was made by his wife Leigh after he wore the first out.
Ferrier said she doesn't know exactly what drove him to keep doing it, but he went on to become Santa for many generations of people across different places, including rest homes, day-cares, kindergartens and schools.
"He had girls coming in saying I sat on your knee when I was a young girl, now this is my baby."
He volunteered with the Hastings Riding for Disabled for over 12 years.
Ruth Holmes, RDA committee member and former manager, said he was a generous man of many talents who will be much missed.
"He was a hoot. Just a really, really kind and very, very generous person with huge life experience and amazing stories to tell at morning tea."
She said that as well as being Santa for Christmas, he also helped lead the horses and support the riders when he could.
"Over time he had some health problems, but he'd still come in. He couldn't do the side walking any more, but he would just be around and help and just talk to people, because he made people feel good. Not just the riders, but the volunteers as well."
Ruth Holmes from RDA said Trevor's Santa suit was made by his wife Leigh to be lightweight, but that won't stop Santa having an ice-cream to cool down every now and then. Photo / Supplied
Trevor and Leigh Bixley were also involved with the Hastings SPCA for 30 years, helping foster animals and volunteering as an inspector.
Ferrier said that when Hastings didn't have its own shelter, they would keep and raise cats, dogs, goats, lambs, rabbits, guinea pigs, piglets, ducks and many varieties of birds at their own home.
"All the fundraising they did over the 30 years finally saw Hastings get a shelter for all these animals they cared for and loved. After they stopped doing SPCA fostering, they would still babysit people's dogs back at their own home."
He would also fill in as a dog ranger on his holidays off from UEB.
Ferrier said many in the region will miss him.
"Trevor will be sadly missed by the greater Hawkes Bay for all he did over his 81 years, the people he met or helped."
He is survived by Leigh, his wife of 55 years, children Deborah, Graeme, Kim, and Mark, grandchildren Daniel, Kelly, Deeza, Michael, Alexandra, Katie, Amie and Toby and great-grandchildren Harvey, Briley, Iszabele, Elizabeth, Spencer and Lachlan.
