We're going to miss you, Santa

But for one missing college credit back in 1967, it's quite possible that Don Criss would have never met his wife, settled in eastern New Mexico, helped create and establish our local public television station, and become a beloved member of this community.

On top of that, more than 40 years of children in Portales and surrounding areas would have missed out on a Santa Claus who welcomed them with open arms, and kept their parents groaning with the corniest collection of jokes ever assembled.

New York native Criss, who died at his home in Portales on March 2 at the age of 81, found his way to Portales in the early 1960s to become a student at Eastern New Mexico University.

In May of 1967, Criss "should have graduated but he lacked one credit," according to Paula Criss, who celebrated her 56th wedding anniversary with her husband in January.

Criss was a theater major and he decided to score that last credit at the Corral Playhouse, a summer theater program held annually at Eastern.

Paula's last name was Powell then. A local girl, she'd just received her high school diploma at the age of 16, and had landed a theater scholarship to also participate in the Corral Playhouse.

The two met officially on Paula's 17th birthday at a cast party in a Portales home, and hit it off immediately.

"He asked in casual conversation, 'How old are you?'" Paula recalled. "I said, '17.' I think his face must have blanched."

But already smitten, he told her, "Well, it's too late now."

A minor in radio and TV

By the following January they had exchanged vows.

"He raised me," Paula said. "He was smart enough to know who I was then was not who I would become."

While his degree was in theater, Criss was always proud to report that he was the first person to minor in radio and television at ENMU. Throughout his life he found ways to combine those interests, seasoned with humor and heart. It was a journey that came with at least one challenge

"Don was severely dyslexic, but was never diagnosed until he was an adult," Paula said.

Even before the two married, Paula put pen to paper on her fiancé's behalf to send out applications to "every television station in the area."

Criss landed his first job out of college at KOSA-TV in Odessa, Texas. He started the month before they married.

"He learned to wrap cables and sweep floors," Paula said, "which was part of what later made him dedicated to sending students out of ENMU who could go to work."

A story every night

The Crisses lived in Odessa four years, where "we did theater every chance," Paula said. They also welcomed their first child – a baby girl named Lisa.

Criss was promoted to a sales job – which he hated – and which proved to be just the encouragement needed to return to ENMU for a master's degree in education.

Aside from a year teaching speech and drama at Roswell High School, he spent the rest of his career - and then some - back at ENMU where he would soon be one of the founders of a new public television station: KENW-TV.

The Criss family added a son, Martin, in 1974.

Lisa Criss Woods lives and teaches near Houston; Martin lives in Santa Fe where he does production for films. Both have fond memories from their earliest years of their father weaving stories from his boundless imagination.

"At bedtime he told a story every night," Martin said. "He could make up a story about everything. One time I had a new belt and he told a story about it."

We did a full show

That love of creating tales expanded outside the walls of the family home in many directions.

Criss was the longtime children's storyteller at University Baptist Church, where he and Paula have worshiped for a half century, and where he also served as a youth pastor, a deacon, and a Sunday school teacher.

The Criss home is filled with whimsical items like a cypress knee, a "yodeling pickle," a miniature goat statue that "screams" when activated, and an exact replica of the trolley from "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood," signed in faded ink by Fred Rogers.

"We liked to challenge him to use odd things in object stories at church," Lisa said.

Lisa will inherit her father's collection of costumes that many in the community have seen, since Criss' love of history regularly intersected with his theatrical background allowing him to transform himself into characters that included George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, and Johnny Appleseed for living history presentations throughout the area.

From the beginning, Don and Paula Criss shared their passion for theater with their children. Along with other family members, all were involved in numerous productions in and around the community, from dinner theater presentations on the tiny stage at the old Portales Inn to church camp puppet shows and full-blown family variety shows.

"Everybody sang," Lisa said. "We did a full show."

The best known Santa

Don Criss first appeared as Santa Claus in 1976, according to family photo albums, popping into Lisa's first-grade class in "a terrible Santa suit," Paula said.

Within a few years, he had a better suit and was on his way to becoming Portales' best-known and most enduring St. Nick, dispensing cheer at annual events including the Mayor's Christmas Tree, the Portales Christmas Parade, and the Portales Public Library's Breakfast with Santa, as well as appearing at local schools and countless private parties.

He also relished the opportunity to put on his whole Santa outfit and stand like a statue outside his home, or slip into the yard full of Christmas decorations at his brother-in-law's home and do the same thing ... and then surprise onlookers by coming to life to wave and wish them a "Merry Christmas."

You should know

Criss' most lasting legacy may be the broadcast center he helped found on campus with other forward-thinking individuals like the late Duane Ryan and the late Clyde Powell (Criss' equally creative and fun-loving brother-in-law).

KENW also became the place he worked for 49 years as a videographer, television host, producer, and teacher.

While completing his master's degree, Criss met his future colleague Sheryl Borden in a class they were both taking.

"He said, 'I'm getting ready to produce a show and I sure would like you to host it.'" Borden remembered. "I said, 'I don't know how to do this and I don't want you to get an F in the class.'"

Through that class, Borden said she became the first host of what would become the long-running "You Should Know," and Criss got his A.

Before long, Criss moved to hosting that show himself, and it became the ideal platform for him to use his inborn interview skills with local, state, and national guests.

Meanwhile – and with strong support and production assistance from Criss – Borden's own long-running show, "Creative Living with Sheryl Borden" was born, and continued to be produced at KENW for more than 40 years.

The nicest person

"He taught me so much about television," Borden said. "The station was built and we were both working in the old building. It was always fun to work on different shows. We all sort of grew up together in that old building. Don always had great advice and he was never critical."

Borden said she has nothing but kind words about her colleague, producer, and friend.

Even after Criss retired and Borden was still filming her show, "he came every Tuesday and Thursday to make sure we were OK," she said

"We were so short-handed," Borden recalled. "He stayed while we taped. If something was needed ... if we needed something brought in from a car ... if we needed a banner hung ... it didn't matter what it was, he was always there to be helpful. Don was just the nicest person to work with."

Many of Criss' contributions were behind the scenes, Borden said.

"Most people will have no idea how much he did and how much he gave to help this community," she said.

A generous heart

Criss' last appearances in full Santa regalia happened only weeks before he entered the hospital for the prolonged bout of pneumonia that eventually ended his life.

Never mind that he was hospitalized, Criss was ever the entertainer, Paula said, doing his spot-on impressions of John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart for his occupational therapists, and singing his favorite Irish songs, "Danny Boy" and "McNamara's Band."

"He had a generous heart," she said. "He helped everybody. He loved serving the community."

He did indeed.

And think about it.

Except for that one mandatory class credit all the way back in 1967 -- for Paula Criss, for KENW-TV, for University Baptist Church, for thousands for children, for our whole community -- how much we all could have missed.

Betty Williamson wonders what shenanigans are under way in heaven since Criss arrived. Reach her at:

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