John Toomey, the Santa Claus who was fired by Macy's last Christmas for telling off-color jokes, was found dead today at the Budget Inn on Market Street. The cause of death appears to be natural causes but has not been determined.
The incident with Macy's, for whom Toomey had served as Santa for 20 years, put Toomey in the national spotlight, including a spot on Jay Leno. Toomey's notoriety resulted in his raising an impressive amount of toys during his impromptu stint at Lefty O'Doul's. Toomey had planned to return there this Christmas.
In regards to Toomey's age, Bay City News reports that on his job application, Toomey had written under "age": "My tongue is slightly older than my teeth."
