He’s got it all –— twinkly eyes, a perfect white beard, and an elegant old-world-style St. Nicholas outfit. Combine that with his big heart and some genuine love for his fellow humans, and you’ve got a perfect description of Sakonnet Santa — aka Neil Lynch, a Tiverton resident who in the past three years has perfected his gift for bringing smiles to local early-morning commuters in the days leading up to Christmas.

Like his North Pole counterpart, he also has a strong constitution, since he was clearly unfazed by the frigid temperatures and gusty winds that kept most pedestrians safely tucked indoors during last week’s early morning hours.

Last Tuesday through Friday, beginning at around 7 a.m., Sakonnet Santa could be seen at either the Sakonnet Bridge walkway or close to the entrance of Grinnell’s Beach, on Main Road, waving to passing motorists and kids in school buses, who laughed with delight when they saw him.

Lynch, 67, is a former Tiverton firefighter who retired in 2015 after 25 years of service.  He and his wife Sue have been here since they were kids and raised their family here. She said she is not officially “Mrs. Claus” but she is usually parked nearby, enjoying the goings-on, during his early-morning Santa appearances.

How did all this start? Toward the end of 2020, during the dark days of Covid, the Lynches wanted some traditional holiday photos of their newborn granddaughter with Santa. Since malls and other retail outlets that would normally feature Santa were closed, Lynch borrowed a costume and the family arranged their own photo session. With that, a family tradition was born.

The following year, Sue said, her husband had acquired his own Santa outfit and decided to greet people on the bridge during the week before Christmas.

“He thought it would be fun, and that it would give people something to smile about on their way to work. Everybody is rushing by, trying to get somewhere, but when they see him, they slow down. It gives them a little bit of joy, I think.”

Several years later, the photo sessions with their now three-year-old granddaughter continue — most recently at the Groundswell Cafe in Tiverton — and Santa’s territory for greeting early morning commuters has expanded. People on their way to work look for him this time of year and ask questions if they don’t see him.

“It really started with our granddaughter, and now he’s a celebrity,” Sue said, laughing. “In three short years, he’s become quite famous.”

“It’s just something that happened because of Covid. My daughter would have just taken the baby to the mall for photos that year. It is one of those good things that came out of a disastrous time.”