DANVERS — When Peabody resident Jen Vargas learned Bruce Symmes had retired from playing Santa Claus at the Northshore Mall she was beyond disappointed — and not alone in the feeling.
“He’s everyone’s favorite Santa,” Vargas told The Salem News early last week. “Everyone is looking for him.”
Turns out, he wasn’t very far from the mall at all. Nor had he hung up his fuzzy red and white hat.
This holiday season, Symmes has played Santa at KC Films and Photography on Maple Street in Danvers, posing on charming Christmas sets while being photographed with children by Aime Keefe.
“I bet you at least a dozen people have either texted me or whatever asking when I’m on at the mall,” he said. “I mean, some of my old co-workers said people keep asking for me there, too.”
The news that Symmes wasn’t fully retired was a relief to parents who’d posted questions on local Facebook pages asking where he’d gone, including Vargas. Through her own post, people helped connect her to Keefe and set up a photo session with him.
“We love Santa Bruce because he’s so genuine, patient and kind, and not to sound cliché, but that is what Santa is all about,” Vargas said. “My girls are 17 and 20 and he still makes Christmas magical for us with the tradition of our photos.”
Symmes is a lifelong Danvers resident who graduated from Danvers High School in 1966. He was the Danvers town assessor from 1971 until 1999, and spent the last nine years of his career as town assessor in Andover.
He retired at age 60. That year, his son saw an advertisement in the newspaper from a photo store at the mall looking to hire a Santa.
Symmes took the job, though the gig only lasted one Christmas season. After working as Santa at a mall in Watertown in the two years after, he ended up at Northshore.
For the next 14 years, Symmes became a cherished part of families’ holiday memories in Peabody. He remembered children’s names who he saw year after year, and was a kind ear to the little friends he’d come to make.
That was the goal this Christmas season too. But after a few days in his usual plush seat, the job had become too much for Symmes, now 78.
“I’m getting too old for it, so I finally had to give it up,” he said. “But I was still doing some side stuff with Amie, so I decided to continue that because I’ve missed the kids too much.”
He remains the Santa Claus at Danvers’ annual tree lighting, which he’s done for about 15 years, and once again took pictures with children at the Abiomed employee Christmas party. He also played Santa for an impressive 150 photo sessions with Keefe at her studio this season.
The pair have worked together since the COVID-19 pandemic, when they teamed up to provide socially-distant pictures with Symmes as Santa outside during Christmas time in 2020 and 2021.
Inside of Keefe’s studio this year, they gave families the option of photos in front of five backdrops or sets. They also held photo sessions Dec. 5 where half of their proceeds went to Danvers Falcon Fest, a nonprofit that puts on popular community events in town.
It’s been a special journey for Symmes, and Keefe, too.
“My oldest son is 15. That’s the only Santa he’s ever sat with,” Keefe said. “Everyone knows him as Santa, and it’s just amazing.”
Keefe saw women asking in a group for Danvers mothers on Facebook why Symmes wasn’t at the mall this year. She posted that he was available at her studio, and the demand to see him grew so high that 30 families signed up to come to her studio last Sunday to take photos with Symmes on their own phones and cameras.
“It’s amazing, the outpouring from people all over the place,” said Symmes’ daughter, Meghan Symmes Beaulieu, who is a teacher in Danvers. “We’re hearing so many stories of how special he was, how he remembers kids’ names and is so good with children with disabilities.”
She is one of four children Symmes shares with his wife, Kathy. The couple have been married for 52 years and now have nine grandchildren.
“Obviously, we knew our whole lives that he was a very special guy,” his daughter said. “But it’s funny to share him with the community in this same way and just really see how many people he’s affected.”
Symmes said he’ll be putting on his red suit for as long as he can.
“It’s just so important. People see me and they say I’m the real Santa.”
Contact Caroline Enos at CEnos@northofboston.com.