VE7TIS — his call sign says it all: T. I. S. : This is Santa.

With his long white hair and flowing beard, Noel bore a remarkable likeness to Santa throughout the year. It is difficult to imagine anyone looking more the part.

Noel retired to Salmon Arm in 2000 from Noel’s Printing at the coast, and with the help of his sons established himself and wife Lila in a spacious and lovely home on the upper bench in Gleneden.

Noel was known far and wide as a Santa in various cities and countries including Japan.  In Salmon Arm he worked tirelessly on a Christmas display at his Gleneden residence, delighting youngsters and their parents over the years, and raising in the process thousands of dollars for local charities.

With amateur radio, Noel was heavily involved in 80 metres as a fixture on several nets and had operated at one point as an official relay station with the BC Public Service Net.

Locally, he had paid membership in to the Salmon Arm Seniors Amateur Radio Club for several years, and much enjoyed visiting the Shuswap Mini Hamfest at Tappen.

He had on occasion with Lila attended our annual Christmas Dinner at the Home Restaurant.

Noel’s other hobbies included fishing, hunting, boating and camping.

Noel carried on with the activities he loved until he could no longer share in them fully due to his declining health.

He died peacefully at home on May 22, 2014.

This gregarious and always cheerful figure will be missed by all who had ever met him.