Published: December 26, 2008 09:55 am      

Barry Holmes a man of many hats – including Santa’s

By Lacie Morrison
lmorrison@mineralwellsindex.com

For the last two decades, Santa Claus has had another name when it’s not Christmas, Mineral Wells resident Barry Holmes.

“I’ve been playing Santa Claus for about 20 years,” Holmes, 62, said.

Even when he’s not attired in the traditional red and white suit, its easy to see a resemblance – twinkling eyes, a perpetual smile, a long flowing white beard and an enthusiasm about bringing joy to others.

Born and raised in Mineral Wells, Holmes has worn many hats besides the one of Santa Claus over the years – teacher, preacher, volunteer firefighter (and volunteer fire chief at Cool-Garner Volunteer Fire Department), former master at the Millsap Masonic Lodge, and former Garner school board president, to name a few.

Holmes first picked up the Santa Claus hat in 1973, while he was a Methodist preacher in Rio Vista, about six miles south of Cleburne. He recalled the local Baptist pastor asked him to dress up as Santa Claus for the kids.

“I enjoyed it,” he recalled. “The funniest thing was while I had the suit on, I went home and rang the doorbell.”

His preschool-aged daughters peeped out to see who was at the door.

“They started running, yelling, ‘It’s Santa Claus! It’s Santa Claus!’ They wouldn’t open the door,” Holmes said.

Throughout the years, Holmes has attended various events and places dressed up as Saint Nicholas and said it’s never been a conflict of him being a preacher while playing Santa Claus for others. That’s happened only once, he said, in his own mind.

“I enjoy the kids, the way their faces light up,” he explained. “I do it just for the joy of it.”

Anyone who saw the Christmas parade in Mineral Wells earlier this month saw Holmes, er, Santa, in his chair. The parade was one of many events he’s participated in this year.

“I’m Santa Claus for the fire department,” Holmes explained. He also visited the Central United Methodist Church and was present at First State Bank for the Christmas Market night. “I’ll go wherever, usually the first one to ask. …

“On Christmas Eve, I go to some houses. I just do it for fun,” Holmes said.

He’s gathered many stories over the years playing Santa Claus, asking children what they’d like for Christmas. He said some kids scream but “very seldom does that happen when I go to a church. They tend to be more trusting.”

The secret, he explained, is to not look the children in the eye and let them approach him when they’re comfortable.

“Some come up and are so excited to see Santa Claus but when they see me, they get frightened,” he said. “I’ve only been kicked once a couple of years ago.”

According to Holmes, there’s a common theme about what children want. At a recent trip to the Pythian Home in Weatherford, he said, “There, they’d either say ‘I don’t know what I want’ or ‘I want my brother here’ or to spend time with their family. A lot of them don’t know but most of it’s like anywhere else – they want toys, horses or dogs.”

No matter where he goes, Holmes said he doesn’t mind putting on that red and white Santa suit.

“A lot of kids ask ‘Are you the real Santa Claus?’ and I’ll ask them what do they think,” Holmes said. No matter what the child replies, he tells them they’re right. “The magic is in the suit. Even kids that know me are like ‘Is that him or is that Santa Claus?’”

With the first suit he had, he recalled, his brother and sister-in-law bought the material and his mother made it. The First National Bank in Weatherford purchased the current suit he wears for him. “I’ve never bought a suit.”

But the suit is only part of his attire. The most prominent feature, perhaps, is his large white beard. He’s grown a beard for 25 years.

“When I started off, I had to paint it white,” Holmes recalled. “I would take white paint or white shoe polish [but] I’ve never had it out quite this long. … I offer to let kids pull it. They’ll touch it but very seldom pull it.”

To get just the right beard for Jolly St. Nick, he said, “I start letting it grow out in June. Actually, it’s better than a bare face in the sun. That way, I carry my shade around with me.”

When Holmes wasn’t spreading holiday cheer as the man in red, he taught, he preached and he fought fires.

Born on Thanksgiving Day in 1946, he graduated from Mineral Wells High School in 1965. Even at that time, Holmes felt a calling to preach.

“My first sermon was in 1966 [at the 11th Avenue Church],” he recalled. “I was scared to death. I still have a hard time speaking in front of people unless I’m preaching. I consider myself bashful and shy. God’s given me the gifts and graces and I love doing it.”

Holmes was a licensed Baptist preacher and became a Methodist preacher in 1968; he retired from preaching in 2006. He also taught at different times in his life – welding, computers and shop class.

In 1970, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education from North Texas State, as it was known then.

“The Vietnam War was going on at the time,” he recalled. “I wanted to go as a chaplain” but because of the time requirements needed to serve in that capacity, the war was over before he could go.

In 1976, he earned his Master’s of Divinity from the Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University and later earned his doctorate from University of North Texas.

No matter where he was over the years – Mineral Wells, Cool-Garner, Killeen or Rio Vista – Holmes also felt a calling to volunteer with the local fire departments. In 1976, Holmes lived in Mineral Wells, preached at three churches, attended seminary school and volunteered for the local fire department.

“I always tried to do too much. … I just loved helping people and I don’t know what it is about fire,” he said. “When I was about 4 or 5 years old, I lived on Old Airport Road. My mom was sick and inside the house with my brother [and] I was outside. We had a chicken coop with baby chicks. I saw smoke coming from the coop and went in and woke up my mother and brother.

“We lost the coop and that end of the house [but] I’ve been interested in it ever since.”

Now that he’s retired from preaching and the Mineral Wells Volunteer Fire Department, Holmes is enjoying his time with countless hobbies – and of course, at Christmas, donning his red Santa suit.

“My whole life, it seems like doors have opened that have led me into fields of service,” he observed.

Dressing up as Santa Claus to bring joy and cheer to the young and young-at-heart during Christmas is one more way to serve those around him. He reiterated, “I just do it for the joy of it.”