CHURCHTON, Md. - Family and friends are mourning a Churchton man known throughout his Anne Arundel community for playing Santa during the holidays.

Edward August Crayle, 59, died Monday in a crash in Edgewater.

Everyone in Deale knew him as Big Ed.

"It's tradition," said Steve Meehan, an employee of the Century 21, where Crayle played Santa for nearly three decades.

"He does Christmas every year," said Meehan. "He's Santa every year and I can't imagine not having Ed here to do Santa Claus."

Family members say Crayle's wife had been driving the car before the crash, but called him when she had mechanical problems. He gave her his car and was reportedly trying to drive the vehicle to a service station when he crashed.

His vehicle collided with a pickup truck at the intersection of Route 2 South and Old Pike Road, police said. Witnesses told investigators that Crayle repeatedly honked his horn while approaching the intersection on Old Pike Road. He ran the red light and swerved to avoid traffic, colliding with the pickup truck, police said.

The pickup's driver suffered minor injuries.

Crayle was pronounced dead at the scene.

His two adult daughters spent Wednesday sorting through photos, remembering all those years he played Saint Nick.

"He loved it," said Angie Crayle, his daughter. "He just wanted to see kids happy. He thought every kid deserved to believe in Santa Claus -- that's the rule of the house. You have to believe in Santa when you come in the door."

"He thought it was magical," said Linda Crayle, his widow. "He tried to get the kids to believe." 

Crayle also played Santa at the Deale Volunteer Fire Department. He apparently had pulled out his Santa suit just hours before his wife called about the car problems. 

"He was happy," said Vicki Browning, with Deale Volunteer Fire Department. "He was happy to sit there with the children--didn't matter if they were crying or didn't want to sit there on his lap. He was always very excited to see thee children."

"We'll have to find somebody ... there's nobody," said Deale VFD Chief Dale Browning. "He fit the part. He really got into it. He'll be missed!"