Santa A. Claus was a Pennsylvania native who portrayed the jolly old elf for more than 50 years and legally changed his name to reflect his role.Claus began playing Santa for friends and family in 1963, making his first public appearances in 1983 at the Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall, Pennsylvania.
Born J. Patrick Allen, he went through a nine-year legal battle to change his name before finally being granted permission in 1995 – the middle initial, A, reflected his hometown of Allentown.
With his wife, Dolores, at his side as his Mrs. Claus, he became a popular and beloved fixture at malls, including the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, where in 1992 he became the new mall’s first Santa.
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