You may have seen Santa Claus riding on top of the firetruck during the Lexington Christmas parade, taking hundreds of pictures with children, some shrieking in terror, others hugging him so tight you’d think they'd never let go.

And if you were really lucky, you might’ve even heard that deep, jolly laugh, and yes, that is his real laugh.

While he’s wearing that iconic red suit and showing off the beard and long hair that took him at least eight months to grow, he’s the beloved figure we all know and adore. But when the costume comes off, well, he’s John Highsmith.

Born in South Carolina and raised in Evans, Ga., John is a proud father of two, a grandfather and husband to his late wife, Terri, whose birthday was Christmas Day, truly making her Mrs. Claus.

When he's not playing Santa, John enjoys hunting ducks, deer, quail and rabbits. He also enjoys spending time with his family.                                                  

Terri passed away two years ago from cancer, just five days before what would have been their 40^th wedding anniversary. Despite her absence, John and his family still celebrate her each year with a cake, honoring her.

“That was the love of my life,” John said.

He remembers meeting Terri when he was an assistant manager at a grocery store, and she worked at the drugstore next door. He asked her out on a date as he bought a cigarette, only for her to tell him she was getting married.

Two months later, he walked into the same store, and Terri was now single. “Well do you want to go out to dinner?’’ he asked. And just like that, their love story began.

He proposed to Terri in front of her Christmas tree. When she became ill, John retired from his job to take care of her. Today, he is semi-retired.

It was Terri who told John to dress up as Santa for their grandchildren, a tradition passed down from her father. John grew up believing in Santa, and though there were no shopping malls in his childhood, his parents would take him to J.B. White’s department store for a Christmas picture with Santa.

Every year, he’d leave milk and cookies out for Santa. His father said Santa needed a pick-me-up, so he would always add a little something extra—a shot of bourbon.

“This Santa loves some Jim Beam bourbon," he said.

John bought a suit and a fake beard and began to dress up as Santa Claus for his two grandchildren who are currently four and seven years old. His grandson has been asking to join Santa’s sleigh with the reindeer, but John jokes, “You’ve got to be 18 to do that.”

Over the past couple of years, John has been dressing up as Santa for different photographers, and this is his first year taking on the official Santa gig for the Town of Lexington.

John has a tradition with his grandchildren where they decorate his Christmas tree with a bunch of ornaments, some from when his own children were young and others that Terri collected with her father.

He also cooks a delicious steak and potatoes dinner for his family on Christmas Day.

John said that the best part of embodying the role of Santa is the moments he shares with the children. It’s in their wide eyes as they see Santa for the first time, in their laughter and joy, overwhelmed by the magic of it all.