'Mr. Christmas' still missed

FALL RIVER
By Yvette d'Entremont - The Weekly News
The thousands of twinkling lights and numerous decorations that festooned his Fall River Road yard may be gone, but memories of Gordon Snow's extraordinary Christmas displays live on.
When Snow died in 2006, the Christmas displays were put away, their future uncertain. But over time, the requests started coming in. Bits and pieces went to family members and friends. While most people were happy to have some small piece of Snow's Christmas display, others asked the family for specific pieces. It means that Snow's Christmas collection is still delighting children of all ages.
Snow was well-known for his lifelong community involvement in Fall River where he also served as HRM councillor.
But he's perhaps even better known as "Mr. Christmas." A guest book set out for Snow's many guests over the years include entries from visitors as far away as Hong Kong.
"I'd estimate he had about 50 characters on display at a time, and the amount of lights were phenomenal," his daughter Patti Snow said. "So many people visiting Nova Scotia on vacation would be brought here by their hosts just to see it."
For decades, Snow's property came alive in the weeks before Christmas. Health concerns forced him to slow down. His last big display was during the 2004 holiday season.
In 2005, the year before his death, Snow still made sure he put a few decorations out.
"Him stopping was more than some people have when they go all out," his daughter Krista Snow joked last week.
His daughter Patti Snow was responsible for designing and bringing many of her father's Christmas display characters to life over the years. She recalled fondly how he would ask her every year to create a new piece or two, or sometimes even 12.
"One year, he had me create the 12 Santas of the world for his display, and another year I made Snow White, the witch and the seven dwarves, so it went a bit over the quota," she laughed.
"If a kid said to him 'Why is there no mermaid?' he'd say to me, 'There's no mermaid. Can you make a mermaid?'"
The impressive Fall River Road Christmas displays began to emerge in the years after Snow's marriage.
"The story is the first year he and my mom were married, he put up one string of lights around the kitchen window," Patti Snow said. "Dad said every year after that he'd add to it."
In addition to items like Santa's sleigh and a church fashioned out of an old dog house, Patti Snow said at least one character from every Disney movie that was ever released became part of her father's display. He also liked the Care Bears, and made sure characters like Tickle Me Elmo and other children's favourites were included.
"People still talk about dad's displays everywhere I go. I just came from a Christmas party and somebody was talking about it there," Krista Snow said last week. "I think it will always be something people will talk about because it meant that much to people."
ydentremont@hfxnews.ca