Richard Christman didn't quite save Christmas in Washington, Pa.

But he did save the Christmas parade.

"Seventeen or 18 years ago, there was a newspaper article saying there would be no parade because no one wanted to organize it," firefighter Joe Manning said. The city fire department decided to take it on -- and as with many department events, that meant Mr. Christman took it on.

"He was like the go-to guy, organizing everything, lining everyone up," Mr. Manning said. And even though he was close to 70 at the time, Mr. Christman kept running the parade for years afterward.

"That's just the kind of guy he was," Mr. Manning said. "He was very community-oriented and just tireless, completely committed to any project you put him to."

A World War II veteran, a longtime Koppers employee and a dedicated booster of his city and especially the fire department, Mr. Christman died Tuesday. He was 86.

A Washington native, Mr. Christman returned to his hometown after serving in the European theater. He married Margaret Black in 1948, and they had three children. After his wife died in 1978, he married Betty Jean Hoffman Shulnes, who died March 20.

Mr. Christman was never a member of the Washington Fire Department, but he was a fixture at the fire station, helping to organize department events and occasionally riding along on calls.

His other passion was organizing parades.

"He took it very seriously," Mr. Manning said. "He'd only allow so many firetrucks in a row, and kept the music groups separate because you can't have the music overlapping."

And he had a crucial rule when it came to the Christmas parade.

"He would always point out that you can have only one Santa," Mr. Manning said. "Having Santa at the end of the parade is like the big finale, and if you have all these other Santas the kids will get confused.

"It became like a local joke. He had to put it in letters to people, but everyone wanted to have Santa on their float, so he'd always be out there telling them, 'Take off that hat! Take off that coat!' ...

"He was just a good guy. It's as simple as that."

Mr. Christman is survived by his children, Richard Christman of Temecula, Calif.; John Christman of Lawton, Okla.; and Wendy Christman of Sacramento, Calif.; and his stepchildren, Robert Shulnes of Charleroi and Debra Eckenrode of Washington.

Friends will be received from 2 to 4 p.m. tomorrow, with services at 4 p.m., at William G. Neal Funeral Home, Washington.