Jimmy W. Hinson, 74, who for the past decade filled the role of Santa Claus for Arkansas’ disabled population and disadvantaged children, passed away Christmas Day.
Hinson died from complications of an intestinal surgery he underwent in November.
He was born in Gravel Ridge on April 28, 1939, and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Arkansas Tech University in Russellville. Hinson began a career with the state in 1972 when he became the accounting manager for the Developmental Disability Services Division, and he retired as chief financial officer for the Arkansas Department of Human Services in 1988.
After his state retirement, he served as chief financial officer for the Arkansas Enterprises for the Developmentally Disabled Inc., until his retirement in 2010. Then he was appointed to the organization’s board of directors, serving until his death.
Craig Cloud, chief compliance officer for Arkansas Enterprises for the Developmentally Disabled, said the organization would not be where it is today if it were not for Hinson’s tireless and passionate dedication and his love for the disabled community.
“He was larger than life and very unique. He was just a wonderful individual with a caring heart and very determined. It didn’t take you long to know where he stood on any particular issue. He was very strong and resolute in his thoughts and very deliberate about his work,” Cloud said.
Longtime friend and colleague Dave Graf, an attorney with Friday, Eldredge & Clark, laughed when asked about his first time meeting Hinson.
“Initially, I was intimidated. He was a big dude. He played football in college. I was just struck by how big the guy was,” Graf said. “But as soon as you sat down and visited with him, in a matter of minutes you knew he had a heart of gold and [was] a real nice guy.”
Hinson had a reputation for giving his time, such as preparing tax returns for firefighters, military families and police officers free of charge. He was a passionate advocate for the rights of the disabled and was often sought out for advice by state leaders.
“He clearly had the mind of an entrepreneur but the heart of a humanitarian. He was always trying to figure out how we could be helping someone or how to tweak programs to make them more effective. Jim was an interesting study in contrast, if you will,” said Ray Scott, a former director of the Arkansas Department of Human Services and a longtime friend of Hinson’s.
It was Hinson’s big heart as well as his large stature and full beard that made him a perfect fit when asked several years ago by the Special Olympics of Arkansas to fill the role of Santa Claus, said his wife, Margarett Hinson.
“Jim Hinson didn’t do anything in a light way. It had to be full bore or stop. He got the professional costume for Santa Claus. He would grow his beard out,” she said.
Hinson’s role of Santa Claus evolved over the years to include organizations such as the March of Dimes,Easter Seals and many others in central Arkansas.
“He was a fairly large individual. He had some gray hair and would grow a beard out to look just like Santa Claus,” Cloud said. “He was just a natural. He had a tremendous heart for kids. It was just another opportunity to bring joy to someone else’s lives.”
It was a role Graf said Hinson relished each year and fulfilled with gusto.
“He was always thinking of others and putting others first, ahead of himself. He loved dressing up as Santa Claus and playing the whole routine. It was just ironic that he passed away on Christmas Day,” Graf said. “It ruined my Christmas, to be honest.”
It was his sense of humor, even in the toughest of circumstances, that set him apart in the workforce, Scottsaid.
“He was a character. He was a big man with a huge heart and an equally large sense of humor,” Scott said. “We had some tough times, and we had some great times.
“He was what I would describe as a straight shooter. We had to work together on some tough things. He had a very effective way of delivering bad news and lacing it with a little bit of humor. That’s probably why we worked so well together. I always appreciated a good sense of humor.”
Margarett Hinson said it was her husband’s sense of humor that made him her best friend and helped them create a life of adventure together in their 34 years of marriage.
The couple first met during a party in a game room at a Hot Springs school. Acting on a dare from a girlfriend, Margarett Hinson said she went and sat on Jim’s lap.
“He didn’t know who I was. I told him, ‘You don’t recognize your wife? Because that’s who you’re talking to.’ We dated for about a year and a half before we got engaged,” Margarett Hinson said.
She got cold feet, however, and they both married someone else. Nearly a decade and two divorces later, they both found themselves at the same Christmas party of a mutual friend.
“He had saved my engagement and wedding ring all of those years,” she said.
The couple dated about six months before getting married.
“It was a trip. That’s all I can tell you; an adventure every day,” she said, adding that her husband was a dedicated father figure to her daughter, Dorothy Northern Ross, and her son, David Shipps.
“He was my very best friend in the whole world. We would comment to each other that we were so in love with each other. He would hold my hand and put his arm around my shoulders. He was always showing signs of affection. He would say, ‘You know. That’s not for show; that’s how we feel.’ He was that kind of guy,” said Margarett Hinson.
Jimmy Hinson was as passionate about gambling as he was in his service to others. He traveled the nation and competed in the World Series of Poker tournaments on many occasions.
Margarett Hinson said her husband had two requests before he passed away: that his funeral be a celebration and that the song “I’ll go to My Grave Loving You” by the Statler Brothers be played.
“The world has lost something,” she said, then paused. “I know my world has.”
Arkansas, Pages 18 on 12/28/2013