Joe Humenik: a real-life Santa Claus

By Rhonda Westfall

Anyone who had trouble believing in the magic of Santa Claus needed to look no further than Joe Humenik whose jolly laugh and twinkling eyes made St. Nick come alive on December 25 - and every other day of the year for that matter.

Community members paused last week to remember the gentle man who passed away June 25, knowing as they did that the spirit of Joe - the magic of Santa Claus - will always remain.

"Joe was a gentle person - he loved being Santa Claus and was always there to help where ever it was needed," Bernard Feldpausch, a long-time friend recalls. "Many people benefited from his care and concern - and lots of them never knew who was providing the helping hand."

That aid extended well beyond the holiday season. Joe was an active participant in a variety of community endeavors resulting from his involvement with the Knights of Columbus, Jaycees, Kiwanis and Lions clubs. He played a key role in numerous events coordinated by the St. Johns Area Chamber of Commerce, and was instrumental in the formation of the St. Johns Mint Festival where he served on the debut steering committee in 1985.

"We had so much fun and so many good times - and worked very hard - in those early years," remembers former St. Johns Chamber Director Joann Martis. "No matter what needed to be done, you could always count on Joe.

"He was a prince of a man - we all just loved him."

Still, Joe as Santa Claus is the mental image that most area residents will carry with them.

"I was the photographer who had the privilege of capturing the special moments of many children with Santa," says Annette Snyder, who worked with Joe on a number of Chamber-sponsored events. "One special moment was with my eldest granddaughter 18 years ago on her very first visit with Santa. He held her in the air and the expressions the two of them had - her chubby three-month-old face and his older and gentle face - is priceless."

Snyder also recalls a "Santa Joe" episode that was repeated countless times over the years.

"A high school senior came to tell Santa her wish for Christmas; it was not for herself, but for a friend who could not be home for Christmas who she wanted to have some decorations in her hospital room," Synder says. "Santa took it upon himself to deliver not only the decorations, but also gifts for the friend."

Of his many friends and business associates during lengthy tenures at Dean's Hardware and the St. Johns Reminder, the recollections of Dennis Scott convey best the essence of Joe. His tribute follows

"Joe and I were friends for over 30 years, working together at Dean's Hardware and the St. Johns Reminder. Together we created some comical situations and laughed ourselves into hysteria at the resulting chaos. It wasn't hard to make Joe laugh or, for him, to get you started. His humor was a constant part of his personality, even through those sad experiences we all seem to share eventually.

"Joe will best be remembered by the St. Johns community through his association with the Christmas season. It was his favorite time of the year and he enjoyed it to the fullest. He was a natural for the role of Santa Claus and loved to entertain children of all ages, especially the children of the children he'd once held on his knee when they were youngsters.

"He was involved in the decorating of the community Christmas tree and the set-up of the Nativity scene for as long as I can remember. And he actively looked for families with kids that might need an anonymous 'Santa' to stop by their house on Christmas Eve.

"Those of us who were fortunate enough to have Joe in our lives will miss him more than we can express. Those folks who didn't know him will still miss him, too, because he filled such a vital role in making St. Johns the kind of community that we now enjoy everyday."

Joe is survived by loving family members: his wife, Terry; children, Mark Humenik of Grand Rapids, Mike (Becky) Humenik of Macomb, and Kathy (Neil) Putnam of Laingsburg; five grandchildren, Makayla and Nicholas Putnam, Ryan, Austin and Gabrielle Humenik; a brother, David Humenik of Naperville, Ill.; sister, Rose Mary Malesic of West Mifflin, Penn.; and sister-in-law, Sally Humenik of Great Mills, Md.