Darline Ruby Ray
May 24, 1953 – December 9, 2021
Go to the Darline ‘Little Darlin CLAUS’ Ray Scholarship Application
A master seamstress and accomplished tailor, Darline has helped many a Santa and Mrs. Claus look their best with her personal creations.
She started her business, Little Darlin’s Creations, in 2000, making English smocked and hand embroidered baptismal and christening outfits for infants. But her love of sewing and creating started much earlier at the age of 8 when her mother started teaching her to sew.
She converted her business to designing and tailor making Christmas performer wear in 2008, but created her first Santa Suit in 1998, when her husband started performing as the jolly old elf. Her booth in the vendor area of most Santa gatherings was always a busy and heavily visited spot.
She started performing as Mrs. Claus 3 years later, in 2001. Over the next 20 years she defined her vision of Mrs. Claus as very elegant and well dressed in a classical Victorian style.
Her natural love of people and desire to bring joy and happiness to all she encountered, just made her Mrs. Claus portrayal that much more believable and realistic. She was most often seen with one of her stuffed animal puppets, using them to help break the ice with shy and reserved children, bringing smiles to all whom she encountered.
With her husband, she participated in parades, festivals, fine art photography sessions, storytelling and reading at local libraries, visiting hospitals and nursing homes and as Santa America volunteers, performed military base visits and base tree lightings.