‘A staple in our lives;’ Greene County Santa passes away after battle with ALS

The man who served as Greene County’s Santa for decades has died after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Greg Paxson passed away this week, Greene County Parks & Trails shared on social media.

“He was a staple in our lives, giving his time to Santa’s Holiday in the Part for 20+ years, as well as other programming,” officials shared. “He was responsible for keeping the spirit of Christmas alive for many over the years.”

>> RELATED: Community members gather to show appreciation for ‘Greene County Santa’ after ALS diagnosis

As News Center 7 reported in December, Paxson was diagnosed with ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2022. It meant he could not continue being Santa, a job he loved for so long.

We were there in December as people gathered outside his house with cards and gifts to show how much he meant to the community.

Community members are remembering him today and sharing pictures and their memories of Paxson as Santa in the comment section of Greene County Parks & Trails tribute to Paxson on Facebook.