OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.— Kenny Blair, a former NFL player and high school coach, touched many lives through his portrayal of Santa. Blair’s family shared on Facebook that the beloved Oklahoma City Santa passed away unexpectedly on Saturday.

Before taking on the persona of holiday cheer, Blair had a successful football career. He played for the Philadelphia Eagles during their Super Bowl debut in 1981. He was later traded to the St. Louis Cardinals before becoming a trainer to sports stars like Shaq and Tiger Woods. 

Once his professional sports career slowed, he returned to his roots in Oklahoma City. 

His time as a football coach and teacher at several OKC high schools left a mark on many of his students. 

Coaching football was only half of the goal Blair had during his teaching career. He even wanted to prepare students for life after sports and preparing himself for life after sports.

Growing up, he didn’t see a Santa Claus with skin that looked like his. This stuck with him into adulthood.

When his beard naturally started to grey, the idea of Santa Blair was born. 

Becoming Santa

Dressed as a fashionable version of the classic Christmas symbol, Santa Blair traveled far and wide to spread his holiday cheer. This past December, Blair was on ABC’s talk show The View where he partnered with Target to give away toys to audience members. 

However, Santa Blair became a staple in his hometown of OKC. He made sure to set aside time for several appearances across the city to ensure that young Black kids had representation during the holidays. 

He would set up shop, so to speak, at places like the EastPoint, which is home to several Black-owned businesses. But he didn’t limit himself. Santa Blair also had several appearances at Myriad Botanical Gardens, often attracting hundreds of children and families seeking photos with the renowned Santa. 

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His presence was in such high demand that he even had the opportunity to take his jolly persona to the happiest place on earth, Disney World.

Blair sat down with 405 Magazine to recount his experience. Children in wheelchairs and even hospital beds visited him with heartbreaking Christmas wishes.

“They want to be healed, or they want something bigger than a toy for a brother or a sister. Or for their parents. I have to tell them that isn’t a thing Santa can do,” Blair told Kristen Grace. Even though he couldn’t grant miracles, he would pray with families. 

Everlasting Legacy

Santa Blair loved teaching and coaching but called his holiday character his ministry.

In a 2022 interview with The Oklahoman, Blair shared his sentiments surrounding his growing fame as the beloved holiday star. 

“I love teaching and I love coaching — that’s my passion. But my ministry is Santa Blair because I can touch a lot of lives through this.”

Christmas isn’t the only occasion that Blair would make appearances for. He had outfits for Kwanza, Black History Month, and even a suit honoring the late Chadwick Boseman. 

In his last social media post, Blair showed off his custom-made coat for St. Patrick’s Day. The family also used the opportunity to tell his followers that the beloved Santa passed away the day before. Hundreds of Santa Blair admirers wrote heartfelt messages in the comments about the impact he’s left on them.