Bringing joy, happiness and smiles is the goal of Ocala’s Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus.
The photo on Danuta Jacob’s cellphone is priceless. The angelic little girl with the strawberry blonde curls has her nose pressed tightly against a window, waiting in awe and wonder for the arrival of Santa Claus.
Danuta has seen this kind of beatific expression on faces many times over the past six years in her role as Mrs. Claus and it never fails to bring her joy.
That, in fact, is part of what she and her husband, Scott Jacob, or rather Mr. Claus, bring to their roles as two of the most beloved characters in history. He started his Santa Claus journey seven years ago. She joined him as Mrs. Claus the following year.
“We’re now the premier Ocala Mr. and Mrs. Claus,” he offers.
“You have to believe that Santa is not just a big fat guy in a red suit who brings you presents,” Scott shares. “Santa is a spirit. To me, Santa is the spirit of loving and giving and Christmas.”
Scott, who earlier this year suffered a broken back, was in the hospital several times and recalls this conversation: “One time when I was leaving the hospital, again, I was being wheeled out and they all know I’m Santa and they said, ‘Bring me some good presents,’ and I said, ‘I don’t bring presents, I bring joy, happiness and smiles … that’s my theory … bringing joy to everybody. Bringing that joy. Bringing happiness.”
The Journey
Danuta and Scott were both raised in Westfield, Massachusetts. After high school, she joined the U.S. Air Force, in 1970. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1973.
“We crossed paths in 1983 at a job. We moved to Vermont, married in 1985 and then moved to New Hampshire,” he states. “We lived there for 20 years. Tired of the cold, we moved to Florida. I retired from the United States Post Office in 2010. Two weeks later, I went to work for the Florida Park Service. In 2012, I took a full-time position at Silver River State Park. Danuta went to work for the Ocala Civic Theatre, then the Appleton Museum of Art. She has a degree in accounting.”
Scott remains involved with the Florida Park Service Ranger Association, among other groups. He has an affinity for scuba diving and motorcycles. Danuta is an accomplished actress who often has starring roles in productions at the Ocala Civic Theatre and also is a gifted artist. The duo also supports local entities such as the Marion Cultural Alliance, Better Together and others.
The couple has one daughter, one granddaughter and one great-granddaughter. Their first great-grandchild sadly passed away at the age of 3 months from sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS.
Danuta shares that Scott was “really down.”
“We were at a porch party or something at Angie Lewis’ and Melissa Townsend was there and she was talking about Santa and she said, ‘You know, Scott would be a good Santa.’ And that’s how we planted the seed,” she recalls.
“Losing our great-granddaughter was a horrible blow for both of us, but Scott in particular,” Danuta shares. “When he started being Santa, he poured all that lost love into the children who came to see him and it had an incredibly positive effect on him. I so loved watching his transformation.”
On Becoming Santa
In the beginning, Scott borrowed a Santa suit from friends Chip and Mary Morris, who have long been involved with the Ocala Civic Theatre. Scott recalls with a laugh that he took the suit to be cleaned and “it came back with pink fur!”
He now has six suits, one of them custom-made by Eryn Brooks Brewer, the costume director at OCT.
Along the way, Scott and Danuta have befriended many other of the local “Santa’s helpers,” including Joe Niles, who Scott says is the Ocala Santa. It was Niles, in fact, who helped further Scott’s career as Jolly Old Saint Nick.
“We collaborated a bunch and then there was a time he was really sick. He called and said, ‘Can you take care of these? Here’s all the numbers,’” Scott recalls. “Then we just started getting gigs by word of mouth.”
Scott’s first official gig was at a city of Ocala Light Up Ocala event. At the time, “I had a different Mrs. Claus,” he notes. “I had borrowed my suit from the city and when I brought it back, Danuta was with me and they said, ‘Oh, are you Mrs. Claus?’ and that sparked her.”
“I’m in theatre, anyway,” she chimes in, “so the next year we did it together.”
One of Danuta’s favorite memories is from a Light Up Ocala event.
“We were down by City Hall. There was this little girl waiting in line and when they told her it was her turn, she came flying up with her arms outstretched and went right past him to me and jumped in my lap and hugged me,” she says with a lilt in her voice. “It’s the most precious memory. It was just … the surprise on Santa’s face!”
Mr. and Mrs. Claus have appeared numerous times at events at the Appleton Museum of Art, including the annual Community Day celebration that is part of The Urban Family’s Holiday Exhibition, which features the private collection of Dr. Paul and Joyce Urban and their daughters. They have been part of a drive-thru light show at the Florida Horse Park, have occasionally appeared as Santa on the Square and have visited several daycares and preschools.
Another of Mrs. C’s favorite memories happened at Shady Hill Elementary School.
“They had us wait outside the gymnasium and the kids were all sitting on the floor, and they had a Christmas concert,” she explains. “The last song was Santa Claus is Coming to Town and that’s when they has us come in. It was such a blast. Those kids were screaming like he was Elvis or something!”
Scott recalls with a laugh the time he appeared at an Ocala Polo Club celebration, “and I even got to ride in the wagon.”
Among his and Danuta’s many appearances have been pancake breakfasts, Clint Hart’s annual Feed 42 outreach, Sensational Selfies events, hospital visits, and nonprofit as well private gatherings.
“Mrs. Claus is a big part of this,” he says with sincerity.
“I like to hold the babies,” she offers. “I help if they are shy. For some reason, they are less afraid of Mrs. Claus than they might be of Santa. I help with sort of sweet talking them and that kind of thing.”
“I have always been in awe of Scott and Danuta and how generous they are with their time and expertise as they volunteer countless hours to support many community organizations,” offers Townsend, formerly the city of Ocala’s Cultural Arts Manager and now a Realtor. “Their servants’ hearts and the enthusiasm they bring with them lights up the room with any endeavor they undertake. I’m so thrilled that this has been great fun for Scott and Danuta and also for our community members of all ages who are touched by a little holiday magic when meeting Mr. and Mrs. Claus.”
The Most Perfect Pair
For several years, noted local photographer Barbara Dawson Hooper, of Inspired Photography & Design, has enlisted the couple for photo shoots with clients.
“Scott and Danuta are such a treasure to our community. I have really enjoyed working with them,” Hooper offers. “Santa is fun, and Mrs. Claus has the biggest heart and children just melt when they meet her. They are absolutely the most perfect pair.”
A few very “special friends” of Mr. and Mrs. Claus even have them over for home visits.
“As our family gathers at home after church each Christmas Eve, we suddenly hear the sound of ringing bells and a loud ho, ho, ho!” offers one Ocala woman. “As the youngest of our crew joins Papa to see just who could be near, the door flies open to Santa and Mrs. Claus filled with much cheer!”
Appearing in public as Santa and the missus can, of course, come with a few surprises. Scott recalls one year when a grown woman who had enjoyed a bit too many libations knocked over the “boxes that were protecting me and wanted to sit in my lap. And last year I got peed on for the first time!”
And there is a wide range of ages of people who gravitate to Santa, he shares.
“I have done staff appreciation events for both local hospitals,” he offers. “When I was in the hospital, one employee said, ‘You look familiar.’ I said, ‘Have you been around during the Christmas season?’ He said, ‘Wait a minute, I have a picture of you and me in my locker.”
He also occasionally encounters non-believers.
“Oh, yeah,” he says with a roll of his twinkling eyes. “One year this little girl asked, ‘Is that real?’ and pulled very hard on my beard about three times. I said, ‘Yes! It is real!”
“Some say, ‘You’re not Santa Claus.’ I say, ‘I am a real Santa Claus. Santa has lots of helpers. How many thousands, millions of houses does he have to go to each year? He has to have helpers.’”
When asked at what age people should stop believing in Santa, Scott replies very seriously: “Never.”
When queried about how long he intends to continue being Mr. Claus, he says with gusto, “Indefinitely!”
WHERE TO SEE SANTA AND MRS. CLAUS:
November, 23rd – Light Up Ocala, all around the downtown square. The event includes entertainment and the “flipping” of the switch to illuminate several city blocks with holiday lights.
December 7th – Holiday Community Day at the Appleton Museum of Art, 10 am to 5 pm, free admission, with special A Dickens Christmas: The Urban Family’s Holiday Exhibition, and making holiday crafts in the Artspace. From 10 am to 3 pm, visitors can take photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
December 19th – Marion Theatre, 4:30-5:30pm meet and greet with Santa and Mrs. Claus; 5:30pm, free family Christmas movie.
