Kit Jaracy: A secret sea glass Santa

In the middle of the night on Christmas Eve, Pittsburgh native Kit Jaracy tiptoed out of his Georgetown CHEER apartment and placed about a dozen wrapped sea-glass necklaces under a small tree.

He didn't dress up in red, but the jolly retiree said it was important to share the holiday spirit and his love for the beach with his neighbors.

"CHEER apartments are mostly for elderly people, and a lot of them are on their own, by themselves," he said. "And I thought it would be nice to make an individual necklace for each of them, so when they get off the elevator and see the little bags, they'll think, 'Oh look, Santa came!'"

Jaracy moved to the Cape Region in 2001 and quickly returned to the shore with a fishing pole in hand. He was familiar with Delaware's beautiful beaches, especially the serenity of Cape Henlopen State Park, after living in Maryland for a time.

"I missed fishing by the ocean, so I started coming down here," he said in his deep, Yinzer accent. "I've been fishing since I was probably 3 years old. My dad got me started on it; my son, he got started when he was 3 years old, and my two grandsons, they're both fishing nuts."

Jaracy grew up just outside of Pittsburgh, where he would fish in the Allegheny River and nearby lakes, and was also an avid hunter. Growing up in the hills of western Pennsylvania, he found a close connection to nature, fishing, hunting and learning skills through the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Explorers and then the military.

That's part of how he ended up volunteering for the Marine Education, Research & Rehabilitation Institute in Lewes, a relaxed alternative to his experience doing three tours in Vietnam with the Army Security Agency, and decades-long careers in the airline and maintenance industries.

When a nasty nor-easter-like storm slammed the Cape Region earlier this fall, MERR's executive director knew just who to call. Jaracy headed out in the heavy wind and rain to help board up the windows of MERR's small facility.

"She can call me anytime, day or night," he said of MERR Executive Director Suzanne Thurman. "She is one of the most amazing people I've met since I lived here."

As a single retiree, Jaracy said, he's usually available to do the unwanted shifts, and he has no problem keeping his eye on a stranded seal in the middle of the night.

The handy outdoorsman's creative side also is impressive.

For about 25 years, he focused on stained glass and leather work, until he found a new hobby making sea-glass jewelry.

"I have always been doing craft work," he said, pointing out intricate leather check holders and a beautifully crafted, blue stained-glass lamp. "It keeps me busy."

Starting in the 1970s, Jaracy found solace in combing the shoreline for shiny treasures, using a metal detector to uncover rings, coins and whatever else might have washed up.

As he makes his way along the shore, sometimes wading into the tide for better finds, he's constantly on the lookout for hidden treasures. No matter where he is, he keeps his eyes wide open for sea glass.

"It's like you're communing with nature," he said. "You have your earphones on; you can see the dolphins swimming and you see things, because you're going so slow, that you might miss if you were just driving down the beach."

Jaracy likes to hunt for sea glass at low tide, after a good storm and along the Chesapeake Bay or Kitts Hummock. But the real secret to his success - other than having a hotspot for sea glass that he will never divulge - is a handmade tool he uses to scoop up sand and filter it like a long-handled gold pan.

"It's like running a clam rake," he explained.

He says it makes finding glass much easier than it would otherwise be.

"You can walk Cape Henlopen for miles and you will never see a piece of sea glass," he said. "Sometimes it's very sparse, and sometimes you find a bonanza."

Jaracy has collected thousands of pieces of sea glass along the Atlantic Coast, mostly cloudy white, bright blue or brown pieces, and has been lucky enough to uncover the rarer red pieces of sea glass, including one large, circular, red piece that is dated to the early 1700s.

"With every tide, you'll find something new on the beach," he said. "No piece is ever going to be the same. When you think about it, you don't know how old that sea glass is or where it came from."

One day in the offseason, walking along the beach for more than an hour without seeing another soul, he crossed paths with a young woman he had never met. She had a headset on, he said, and was clearly looking for something in the sand.

"I'm looking for sea glass," she told Jaracy. But she hadn't found one piece. Luckily for her, she had crossed paths with a secret sea glass Santa. He handed her a bag with a piece of sea-glass jewelry, much to her delight and surprise, and then he went on his way.

Even though he he hasn't lived in Pittsburgh since the 1970s, it's clear that Jaracy's Steel City roots mean a lot to him. A welcome mat - Steelers themed - and door hangers - also Steelers themed - prepare visitors for the Terrible Towels strewn on the back of the comfy recliners in his apartment.

"I am a real tough, Steeler conservative," he said with a smile. Underneath, though, Jaracy has a soft spot for being on the beach, any kind of craft work and just making other people smile.

And no matter where he's living, Jaracy says he's always adapted to local life.

"When you live different places, the locals have an attitude against tourists," he said. "I'm not an outsider. I served three tours in Vietnam, no matter where I live in this country, I'm an insider, I'm a local, because I earned it - as does every veteran who serves this country."

Participating in area craft shows, thanks to his knack for uncovering well-hidden sea glass, helps him connect with the community on another level.

It's hard not to get along with the tall Pittsburgh fan. Jimmy Stewart, whom he met while volunteering at the Zoo Atlantic, even thought he was hoot.

An autographed portrait of Stewart hangs on an apartment wall, along with family photos. Jaracy has so many stories to share - from Belgian family roots dating back to the 1500s to the time he walked in on John Wayne, kicking the door open and bellowing, "They tell me you're the Duke!"

Beyond his international travels, days in the Army and briefly rubbing shoulders with stars, Jaracy is a simple, kind man, who loves his family and knows how to make a complete stranger's day.

"Little kids, especially, when they're out there looking around with their sand buckets, or when people come up and say they've been looking for sea glass all week," he said, "I'll just pull something out of my vest and say, 'Here's a little something from the ocean.'"