Who was Kenilworth’s first Santa Claus?
With Christmas days away it’s a good time to reminisce about some resident who in days-gone-by played Santa for Kenilworth children. Several stand out. But only one visited nearly every child’s home.
Anna Ruscansky (1900-1996) played Santa from the 1940s into the 1990s. She donated time to many organizations and into her 90s was an annual favorite at the local schools in her completely handmade Santa costume.
Richard Neyon (1898-1974), a Kenilworth Lions Club member, did so in the 1950s and 1960s. The Lions arranged for a helicopter to land him on the Harding School grounds where thousands gathered to witness his descent, receive gifts, and join the parade that followed.
Charles David (1927-2011), police chief for many years, was a Santa during the 1950s to the 1980s. He did so for his children and grandchildren. When neighbors got wind of it, they asked him to visit their children. He obliged and did many for blocks around his N. 20th St. home.
Salvatore Cirillo (1929-2010) was a long-time member of the Kenilworth Volunteer Fire Department. In the 1960s to the 1980s he attended in his Santa suit the children’s Christmas parties held at the firehouse for firefighters’ children.
Nowadays, Craig Day of N. 20th St. portrays a Victorian Santa. He has been visited by countless numbers of children over the years at the historic Nitschke House on So. 21st St.
So, who was the town’s first Santa? It was Joseph Shallcross (1878-1951), founder of the old Shallcross Express trucking company. He portrayed Santa from the 1920s until a few years before his death. A jovial and full-bodied gentleman, he had a penchant for philanthropy. These attributes made him a natural for Santa Claus. He suited up and donned a Santa mask at his home on the outskirts of town and walked to neighborhoods all over the community. The town had many fewer homes back then. He brought joy and gifts for children. At times it was a fresh piece of fruit – oranges were popular – which were expensive during the Depression and scarce later during rationing for WWII. One of his grandchildren, Joseph Henshaw (b. 1940) reported that when Santa first visited him, he was frightened by the mask that was not particularly friendly looking.
Santa’s nephew, Charles, was a pilot who kept a small airplane near their homes by Black Brook Park. One year his Uncle Santa wanted to make a sensational arrival by landing the plane on the Boulevard. His uncle planned to leap out of the plane once it hit ground and distribute gifts to anxiously awaiting children. But the plan was scrapped when the FAA found out about it and put the kibosh on the plane landing on the Boulevard. Sometimes Santa Shallcross was chauffeured up to the library in a big, black Packard. Out he would jump to masses of children lining the sidewalks and up on the library lawn eager to meet him and receive a gift of some sort.
In the late 1940s as his health began to fail. Santa Shallcross became wheelchair bound. No longer could he walk to children’s homes or meet with crowds of them. Grandson Joseph Henshaw noted, “He would still put on the top of his Santa suit and entertain family and friends at Christmas if they came to the house for a visit. He couldn’t help but to bring joy to others.”
Research provided by Walter E. Boright, Ed. D., historian, and Historic Signs, Inc. with appreciation to Joseph Henshaw. Persons with inquiries about this or other aspects of Kenilworth history may contact Dr. Boright at drbori@aol.com or 908-256-5200.
