‘Kris Kringle’ Travis Parry Dies at 73 : Holiday spirit: The retired plumber’s jolly appearance, sincerity and love of Christmas made him one of the area’s most popular Santa Clauses.

Travis H. Parry, the gentle “Kris Kringle” who mesmerized children at Christmas and was constantly mistaken for the real Santa Claus even without the outfit, died Sunday at age 73.

Parry’s white beard, round belly and rosy cheeks made him a natural Kris Kringle. During the Christmas season, he donned a red velvet robe and made his rounds at the local malls and schools. But even when Christmas was months away, children would stare at him on the street and tell their parents they had seen the real Santa Claus, said his son, Thomas Parry.

Playing Santa Claus was actually Parry’s second career. A plumber, Parry had retired in the 1960s and enjoyed working in his garden. He turned to playing Kris Kringle when people continually stopped him on the street and commented on his likeness. Soon, advertising agencies had him posing as Santa Claus in various publications.

During the off-season, Parry played other holiday characters such as “Mr. Whiskers,” the Easter Bunny, or an Irish leprechaun for St. Patrick’s Day.

But it was Parry’s sincerity with children and love of Christmas that made him one of the most popular Santa Clauses, his son said. Parry visited schools, hospitals, charitable events . . . wherever there were children.

“He wasn’t a ‘ho ho’ kind of man,” Thomas Parry said. “Children could see right through that kind of insincerity. He talked to the kids and got to know them even when there were lines 2 miles long.”

Travis Parry’s wife, Evelyn, attended Christmas festivals as Mrs. Claus. And when Parry fell ill several years ago, his son took up the role of Kris Kringle with the help of heavy padding and extra whiskers.

“If my father could have gotten a sleigh and flying reindeer, he would have been out there every Christmas, giving away presents. That would have been just like him, a jolly old elf,” Thomas Parry said.

Parry is also survived by a daughter, Tralyne Nutt of Arlington, Tex.; a sister, Edith Pullian, and two grandchildren. Funeral services are being arranged by Westminster Memorial Park.