Jerry Owens

“Santa from the Heart”
New Albany, Indiana
1951 – Current

International Santa Claus Hall of Fame – December 2019

Craig Imboden
Craig Imboden – New Albany, Indiana

Jerry Owens retired after 37 years with the Department of Veterans Affairs in the engineering department. Before that he proudly served in the U.S. Air Force from 1970-74.

He has been in the red suit since 1991 and first started as Santa simply wearing a red sweatshirt and a Santa hat walking around the V. A. Hospital during Christmas time. He started to get comments about how much he looked like Santa. Diana, his wife said, “you would be a great Santa” and Jerry thought about it as he wanted to make those, he met smile and enjoy what Christmas is about; giving the from the heart. Since that day Jerry has been Santa Claus appearing around the Louisville, KY area and in Santa Claus, IN.

Jerry is also Co-Chairman of the Santa Claus Oath Committee and a member of the Santa Claus Oath Foundation. In 2010, Jerry helped produce the National Christmas Center Oath Signing in Lancaster, PA, the Charles W. Howard Day Celebration in Albion, NY and the finale Oath Ceremony in Santa Claus, IN.