Santa Ron brings Christmas spirit all year

Lights and other festive decorations line the walls of Kathy’s Kopies, located at 13144 Midlothian Turnpike. Yes it is July, but Santa Ron Despain, also known as Mr. Kathy, and Kathy Despain also known as Mrs. Santa celebrate Christmas year round.

Kathy’s Kopies recently opened a Christmas shop inside of their copy store called Santa’s Chest.

“If you have Santa and Mrs. Santa, you’ve got to have a Christmas store,” Santa Ron said.

They sell ornaments, toys and handmade nutcrackers from a local artist, Glenn Crider. Four of Crider’s nutcracker creations were put onto 42-cent stamps in 2008. The nutcrackers are now on display at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.

Just last year, Santa Ron made his transformation into the white-bearded, heavy chuckling man he is today. Previously, he was in the Marines and the Reserves. Ron and Kathy have been married for 31 years, have five children and eight grandchildren.

Santa Ron’s inspiration sparked from a visit to Lucy Corr Village Memory Center. At the time, Santa Ron and Mrs. Santa had been doing numerous visits for children who wanted to let Santa know what they wanted for Christmas.

Despain said he had an encounter with a man in a wheelchair, who had a blank expression on his face. Despain was unaware of his mental condition.

“As I get closer his eyes are half closed, as we get closer his eyes start to open and his eyes get bigger and bigger and bigger and so I kneeled down right in front of him and I grabbed him by the hand and wished him a Merry Christmas,” he said. “The corners of his mouth just come up…the nurse comes running up to my Mrs. Santa and she says ‘that is amazing, as long as I’ve been here he has never reacted to anything.

“There’s something deep inside us, and Santa has a special place in our hearts with memories and the good things of life,” he said, “and with all of his medical conditions that came through.”

Santa Ron is a member of a group called Virginia Santas. About three times a year, the group meets at a different location to catch up with one another and work on the “Naughty/Nice” list. Their next meeting will be in October.

Despain is also a member of a non-profit organization called Santa America. The organization was founded in 2003 and is comprised of over 100 national volunteer Santas who visit children and families when they need him. The Santas undergo the same background check as a doctor or nurse. He also receives specific training in death, bereavement, autism as well as post traumatic stress.

Santa Ron volunteers for Noah’s Children, a program of comprehensive care that serves infants, children and adolescents who have been diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. It is Central Virginia’s only pediatric hospice and palliative care program. The hospice is located at Bon Secours Richmond Health System.

Despain also emphasized that everyone has a soft spot for Santa. He recalled a time when he was out to dinner and a curious little girl kept waving at him from another table. Her mother was weary of their interaction, so Santa Ron decided to talk to her mother.

“I got up and I walked over to the mom and I said, ‘your daughter is just so sweet, can I give her something?’ and the mother’s still a little suspicious but I am asking permission,” he said. “And I said, ‘your daughter is being really good and I want her to know she is being good,”

He showed the mother a card that said, “Santa caught me being good, and he gave me this card to prove that I was good today.”

Once her mother saw what it was she let her daughter have the card. After they finished their dinner, her father told her daughter to tell Santa “thank you.”

Santa Ron said he understands that children can get tired of waiting in line for long periods of time to see Santa and let him know what is on their Christmas lists. He has previously set up a visit at Powhatan Pharmacy where 12 children can meet with Santa Ron and Mrs. Santa, by appointment.

At the end of the summer, Santa Ron and Mrs. Santa will give families the opportunity to visit Santa’s Chest shop to see Santa Ron and Mrs. Santa. Children can tell Santa what they’d like to have for Christmas and photos for cards will be available.

“Why do we do this? Well, let’s face it, when Santa walks in the room, you’ve got to smile,” Santa Ron said, “you really do.”