The holidays can be hard for people who’ve lost loved ones, but one Tustin family is turning their sorrow into celebration by honoring their late father’s favorite Christmas tradition with a display for the community.
“It is a fraction of what he normally did, and I'm sure he cringed at how I put things up and whether or not I use the right tools,” said Rachel Duff as she referred to her late husband.
Don Duff died at the age of 51 in October following an eight-year battle with ocular melanoma cancer. He was a combat Army veteran and volunteer with the Tustin Police Department, according to his family. He was affectionately known around his neighborhood as "Mr. Christmas" because of the elaborate displays he would put in front of his home every year.
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“About 90% of the whole display; you won’t find these on the shelves of any stores out there because he handcrafted them,” son Michael Duff added.
An inflatable Olaf from "Frozen" and a wooden cut out of the grumpy Grinch and his dog Max are among the displays on the lawn at 14431 Heights Dr. in Tustin. Don Duff may have passed on but his family is making sure to keep his memory and tradition alive with the heartwarming decor.
“I started just after Thanksgiving," Rachel said. "It's been a labor of love and I've had some help from family and neighbors."
In addition to his career, Don Duff enjoyed helping veterans at the OC Rescue Mission, was part of his local American Legion and served as a soccer coach and mentor for decades.
“In all his spare time, he came and did this for the community and the neighbors,” Duff said as she showed NBC4 the display her husband had won eight awards for from the Tustin Community Foundation’s holiday display contest.
Rachel said she thinks Don would be proud their family is keeping his tradition alive.
“I’ve helped him enough times setting it up," Michael said. "I hear him in the back of my head … and just feel a little closer to him."
“We miss him a lot,” Duff added, “Being able to do something like this … makes us feel that he's here.”
This Christmas, the family is inviting the community to come out Friday through Sunday night to enjoy the lights, the Thomasville train town, and music until Jan. 8.
In lieu of flowers at his funeral, Duff had also asked people to donate to ocular melanoma cancer research and the Tustin American Legion Post 227, something Duff said would be nice for people to also consider this Christmas.
