Colin used to see them tug on their parents' hands and point him out, saying "there's Santa."
He would explain to the children that he was on holiday.
The famous beard flourished largely unscathed — apart from being briefly exiled for his wedding to wife Jan — until 2020, when a fellow of Ormondville's Lion Masonic Lodge No.114 challenged him to shave it off for charity. Rising to the challenge, Colin had his beard shorn very publicly and raised more than $7000 for Dementia Hawke's Bay.
Last October the grand master of New Zealand Freemasons, Graham Wrigley, travelled from Christchurch to promote Colin, the past grand lecturer of Woburn Lodge No.25 in Waipukurau for 20 years, to past senior grand warden.
Graham said at the time that he was delighted to promote Colin, who has "an exemplary career in Freemasonry and has been a driving force behind many initiatives."
Despite his illness Colin was determined to attend Anzac Day in Waipawa this year, which he did. He was also intent on reaching his 85th birthday, which he accomplished. Colin was farewelled on May 20, and donations have been made in his memory to charities, Dementia Hawke's Bay and Cranford Hospice.