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As the winds blow through town, scattering the leaves from trees and bringing the occasional flakes of snow, another change takes place in the house of Snowflake residents, John and Bev Kay: the Santas come out. Santas in the foyer greet friends and visitors, while others find their place along the shelves in the living room and still more Santas put out their festive cheer in the dining room.
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Bev said the collection started in 1970 with a white ceramic Santa and has grown with at least one new Santa added every year to the display. There is a Santa from New Hampshire and one from Alaska. There is even a Russian Santa. Some have been bought while on trips, others while shopping local.
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The love of Santa goes beyond the dozens of figures that decorate the home; it goes into the love of the season and what Santa symbolizes for the Kay family.
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For John, the ideal of Santa is simply bringing good to someone who needs it, creating a tradition of giving in his family.
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Bev said one Christmas John “broke into” a friend’s house while they were at church to slip money onto their tree; another Christmas it was angel pins given to volunteers within the community.
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Many times the Kay children were involved in the Christmas conspiracy of bringing joy and just like in the stories of Santa magically filling the stockings, lots of hours were spent around the holidays working out the best way to bring the gift of Christmas without being caught.
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Married for 50 years, John and Bev began their life together in Phoenix with John finishing up his business degree at Arizona State University. From there, John took over the Keams Canyon Shopping Center, which featured everything from grocery and gas to Native American arts and crafts.
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“We lived on the reservation for 10 years,” said Bev. During those 10 years, she and John completed their family of five children in seven years. “Our kids are still close to this day.”
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Bev feels that her kids had a rich childhood being raised among the Hopi and Navajo, in a simpler time. “The kids had good schooling, learning the arts and Native American traditions, while creating friendships,” shared Bev.
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There was one year on the reservation that the Kay kids had heard about a Hopi grandmother who needed food. “They packed up meat and frozen foods from the store to take to her, only to find she had no electricity or refrigeration,” said Bev. The day still ended well as the weather was cold enough to store the food outside until it could be used.
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When their oldest daughter entered into junior high, the Kays moved to Snowflake. “John continued to run the store, driving an hour and a half one way to get out there. Then he would spend the night and come back on the second night.”
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For John, that journey continued until he was forced to retire in July 2017, when he was diagnosed with Stage IV bone and small cell lung cancer. The diagnosis was earth shattering as especially surprising as John had never smoked. Given six months to live, John sold the store to his brother-in-law and focused on living.
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Whether it was the prayers, of which there were many, or the medicine from the doctor or the herbal remedies John took or a combination of all, John’s cancer is now in remission. A gift that Bev said she is forever grateful for.
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While the days of “breaking and entering” are past, the smile on John’s face, as he walks among his Santas sharing the story of this one and that one, touches the spirit of the season as only a Santa can.
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