Jimmy Lomax

Jimmy Lomax. . , Even on the Beach Strip, a community known for its characters and mavericks, Jimmy Lomax stood apart as a true original - a lion-hearted philanthropist whose dedication to helping children and the less fortunate was legendary., He was one of Hamilton's most renowned citizens and as much a part of the Beach Strip as the sand and lake., But Jimmy - he was always just "Jimmy" - almost didn't live long enough to make his mark on this community. Jimmy Lomax was born August 24, 1943. When he was seven, doctors told his parents he might only have three years left to live. But even though he spent many weeks in hospital suffering from whooping cough and lung disease, he defied those dark predictions. When he was 12, on Christmas Eve, a man came to the family's front door on the beach. He was dressed in full Santa Claus regalia to cheer up the sickly boy. The experience inspired Jimmy to one day return the good deed. He ultimately decided to don the red suit himself every Christmas and raise money and presents for kids and the needy. From that first time, he said, it felt magical. He gave out five dollars worth of candy on year-one. The campaign grew and grew. He named it Operation Santa Claus and it became the calling of a lifetime., Jimmy was claimed by everyone in Hamilton but first and foremost Jimmy Lomax was a man of the beach, his spirit and resilience representing what the Beach Community was all about. He loved everyone and would do anything for anybody. One Christmas night a guy showed up at the door. He didn't have any food for dinner. Jimmy gave him the turkey right off the dining room table., He saved the biggest piece of his heart for Susan, his wife, and their son, Ryan. Susan was from the beach too, had lived there since she was a toddler. The death of their son Ryan, due to lung cancer at the age of 15, broke their hearts. And still, through his ongoing health challenges, and the wound from Ryan's death that never healed, Jimmy carried on. He ran Operation Santa Claus for more than 50 years, raising an astonishing $9 million over more than 50 years, with the help of a small, dedicated group of volunteers., He was always smiling, laughing with his booming voice, literally bringing Christmas to those who otherwise wouldn't have one. He brought joy to everyone in the room even as his own joy would never quite be the same. He did this in his spare time while working 38 years in the steel mills, often taking unpaid leave for the cause., He received the Order of Canada in 1983, the Ontario Medal for Outstanding Citizenship, Hamilton's Distinguished Citizen of the Year and the Queen's Jubilee Medal., In 2011 Jimmy Lomax died in his sleep at 68 years old. The city wept for the man and the symbol of what he had been. Mourners lined up outside a funeral home in a cold rain to pay their respects, many of them dressed in red, holding bells., He did not live to see Jimmy Lomax Beach Boulevard Park dedicated. But he would have loved having a place like this named for him; a place for all to play near the shoreline of his beach. A place to be young. All those who visit this park, and this beach, should know that, yes, there is a Santa Claus. His name was Jimmy Lomax.