Mall loses man of a thousand Christmas wishes

Holiday traditions will carry on this year at Stratford Square Mall in Bloomingdale, but with a little less cheer. One of their favorite Santas, whom they called, Santa Paul, has passed away.

For 15 years, Paul Podzamsky served as the jolly old elf that children came to see. He worked for six weeks each season, in the mall's holiday headquarters in its center court, and he was so popular that families would check out his schedule ahead of time.

Mr. Podzamsky, of Hanover Park, passed away on Thursday after a long battle with cancer. He was 68.

"He was really good with kids," says Jackie Winter, manager of the Picture People who hired him. "He was very friendly and approachable. Children were never afraid of him."

Perhaps it was his authentic look. Mr. Podzamsky had a real white beard, and with his wire-framed glasses and custom suit, he looked every bit the part of the jolly old elf.

He also approached the role seriously. Several years ago, he took a course in sign language course through the Hanover Park Park District in order to communicate with hearing-impaired children.

"He didn't have to use it much, but he brushed up on it every year, just in case," said his wife, Elaine.

Mr. Podzamsky also went through toy catalogs every year, she added, to bone up on what children put at the top of their wish lists.

Mr. Podzamsky also donned his Santa suit at local businesses and schools in Hanover Park and Carol Stream, as well as at functions at Trinity Lutheran Church in Roselle.

Family members say he enjoyed being Santa year-round, and that he joined the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas, to be among others who felt as passionate about the role as he did.

"It's that fraternal feeling of belonging," Podzamsky said in a Daily Herald interview in 2006, "of knowing you're not the only one with a white beard."

Mr. Podzamsky's appeared as Santa at Stratford Square Mall through the 2007 holiday season. He missed one year, in 2006, when his cancer treatments started, but he resolved to go back, he said, because he thrived on "making kids happy."

At the time, when Mr. Podzamsky first became ill, the mall's former marketing director, Kristin Erickson, found it hard to think about replacing him.

"He just might be the real thing," Erickson said.

Mr. Podzamsky's daughter-in-law, Heidi Podzamsky, said that last Christmas, the family sent an e-mail to a few people, asking them to send cards of cheer to "Santa Paul" since he wasn't feeling well.

"The funny thing is I sent the e-mail to just more than 10 people, but they sent it to 10 of their friends who had children who sat on his lap," Heidi Podzamsky wrote. "Then they sent it on to 10 more people etc., etc. He received cards from families that knew HIM, but we didn't necessarily know them. He touched so many people."

As a result, the family has a three-inch binder of children's handwritten cards and colored pictures that were sent to him. Mr. Podzamsky replied to each child with this letter:

"To the children to took the time to send all of these wonderful paintings and drawings to me, Santa Paul,

I enjoyed each one. They brought a warm feeling to my heart. I love you all, each and every one of you.

I hope you got what you wished for. Remember, you may not have gotten everything, but there is always next year - BE GOOD!"

Besides his wife, Mr. Podzamsky is survived by his children, Jeanette (Robert) Dudzik and Steven (Heidi) and three grandchildren.

Services have been held.