Write a commentEvery year at this time, many of us engage in a search for the true meaning of the holidays . That true spirit is often elusive to find, but if any one ever found it and expressed it, time and again, especially at Christmas time, that person was Bob McManus, the best Santa Claus Oswego ever had.
Bob was a business agent for Laborer's Local 214. Short, stocky, and always cheerful, at Christmas time, he would transform into Santa Claus, in the most believable way. His shaky voice, and portly demeanor warmed the hearts of many starry eyed children, and he was a frequent visitor to area schools, nursing homes, and family homes that invited him to get a taste of what the real joy of Christmas was all about.
The Sullivan family was one of those that Bob visited every year, and we have many special Christmas videos of Bob, sitting in our "Santa chair", near the Christmas tree in the front room of our large West Fifth St. home, enchanting not only our children, but the entire neighborhood, and the children of our friends who would come for the special occasion of Santa's annual visit, replete with Jingle Bells, hearty Ho Ho Ho's and his famous admonition to the children that "It's not the things you do at Christmas, but the Christmas things you do all year round" that really matter.
Perhaps Bob's quintessential moment came in the year 1988, when he was helicoptered in to the soon to be City Hall Plaza by the Sheriff's Department helicopter, and then the Fire Department's fire truck, to the stage in front of City Hall, as he wandered through the record crowd of 9,000 or so revelers and carolers who had gathered for Oswego's First Annual Children's Christmas Tree Lighting at City Hall. There was a 40 foot Colorado spruce, erected by the DPW for the occasion, a menorah lighting the steps of the old Post Office, and a chorus of children from all the elementary schools in the city, led by Leighton elementary vocal music teacher Sue Swindells, who stood on a box above the crowd to lead all the caroling. The high school cheerleaders provided Santa a cheering escort, while the Policemen's wives poured hot chocolate for the thousands of celebratory citizens in the rotunda of City Hall.
The photo which appears here, taken by Pall Times photographer Harrison Wilde, says it all. It was indeed a special moment in time. Alcan provided the Aluminum foil for the children to fashion their own ornaments in their art classes, which the DPW then hung high on the City Christmas tree. Little children hung their own ornaments from the reachable parts of the bottom of the tree, while Nestle provided the free hot chocolate. I remember one Syracuse TV channel newsman saying it was like a scene out of a Norman Rockwell painting, that first Children's Christmas Tree lighting at City Hall Plaza, and the standout performer who enchanted all from the stage was Oswego's own Santa, Bob McManus.
Sadly, it was a mere one year later that we lost Oswego's best and most original Santa, on Nov. 30th, 1989. He died while en route to entertaining children at Leighton School. We paid tribute to him a few days later, at the City Hall Christmas Lighting ceremony. Steve Pryor sent me this note about that evening. "The ceremony started around 6:30. By the time that you were to take the microphone it was just minutes before 7:00. One of the very first things you did was to talk about Bob McManus to the crowd. At the instant you mentioned Bob's name, church bells rang out to signify that it was 7:00. To borrow an analogy from "It's a Wonderful Life" as you did with Charlotte in your column , "an angel gets its wings every time a bell rings". It was a one in a million matter of timing that it played out that way. But for a kid who grew up and knew the real Santa Claus, it was clear that Bob did get his wings when you talked about him on Friday night December 1, 1989 at exactly 7:00 PM."
We planted a tree at City Hall in Bob's memory that year, as we noted his untimely passing. At that point, when those bells started to ring at St. Joseph's Church to mark the hour, and went on to play Silent Night, we saluted Santa for the last time.
The timing was perfect. The occasion was momentous . The loss of Oswego's most endeared and endearing Santa Claus was all too real that Christmasy Night. His son Terry has stepped in to fill his shoes, and dons the same suit as his dad. So, the McManus legacy continues as Bob lives forever in our hearts, and in the warm and wonderful memories of countless Oswego children, now all grown, with children of their own, who will never forget the kind admonition of "Santa" Bob McManus , to "Love your brother and sisters, share your toys, and always respect your parents.... Oh, and keep a happy heart." Good advice from Oswego's Number One Santa of all time. His message is as important today as it was twenty years ago. The message to love one another at the holidays is one that will never grow old. Thank you Bob McManus for showing us the real spirit of Christmas. And thank you Terry for continuing an important tradition.
And every time the bells ring out this season, take a moment to pause and remember Bob, think of how he got his wings, and say a little prayer for peace and goodwill, which he always spread in abundance.
