Carl Anderson Obituary News – Death, Carl Anderson, NorthPark Center’s Santa for 30 years, Has Passed Away
Sebastian Wright
Published Apr 01, 2026
Carl John Anderson, who played Santa Claus at NorthPark Center for more than 30 years, died on Friday.
He lived in Austin and was 70.
When Anderson retired last year before the 2022 holiday season, he ended one of the longest-known runs as a Santa at the same mall. He was also a child psychologist.
“It wasn’t something I had anticipated or planned for. It really knocked my socks off,” Anderson said. “It became clearer to me that I had become a true holiday tradition for so many families.”
Over the three decades, tens of thousands of children had one-on-one visits at NorthPark with Anderson during the holiday seasons and even more circled around him for his signature story times.
“Carl left an indelible mark on North Texas, bringing hope and love to thousands each holiday season as NorthPark’s beloved Santa Claus,” said NorthPark owner Nancy Nasher in a statement. “He was a beacon of light for visitors and a true testament to the extraordinary impact one person can have. We will all miss him dearly.”
Anderson, who has wavy white hair and a beard, got the idea to portray Santa because kids in Austin mistakenly thought he was the cheerful figure. In 1978, while he was at the University of Texas finishing his doctoral research, he was approached by some schoolchildren crossing 26th Street, and Guadalupe pointed at him, claiming he was Santa Claus. Anderson stated in a 1998 UT News press release about his book All I Want for Christmas Is… that he grew the beard like so many others did in Austin during the 1970s.Letters from the Mailbag of Santa.
Anderson’s dissertation topic was about children’s reactions to the Santa Claus myth.
Words fall short of expressing our grief for your loss, as we mourn with family and friends for this great loss. We are truly sorry to hear of the loss of this promising being. Please accept our condolences and may our prayers help comfort you. Please receive our heartfelt condolences.
Feel free to drop condolences messages and prayers for the family and friends of the deceased as it will go a very long way at this difficult time of theirs.
