By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN

dobrien@dailynews.net

Wayne Billinger wanted to give people hope while mourning the loss of a loved one during the holiday season.

His family is clinging to that hope today and calling on strength in the coming holidays.

Billinger, a local songwriter and owner of the recording studio, Advantage Creative, released a music DVD titled, "Santa, Please Tell Jason 'Hi' " on Friday.

Two days later, the Hays man died of a massive heart attack. He was 54.

Billinger was found at his home when he didn't show up Sunday morning to sing in the choir at St. Fidelis Catholic Church in Victoria, his childhood home.

Those close to him soon thought of his newly released DVD -- and the irony of the timing.

"He had the idea for a while, but he had just recently put a lot of time into it the last couple of months," said Rich Billinger, Wayne's older brother and also a member of FOURSTAR, a quartet started by Wayne Billinger. "He had to get that out of his system, so he did."

"And I'm glad," Rich Billinger added. "Now, here we are mourning him."

Wayne Billinger's complete obituary can be found on page A7.

The DVD is dedicated to a nephew of Wayne Billinger's who died of meningitis several years ago at the age of 18 at Christmastime.

Billinger wrote the song not long afterward, and it was first sung by his daughter, Kelsey, when she was 4.

Kelsey Billinger now is 16 and a junior at Hays High School.

And her dad thought it was time to put the song to video and get it out to the public.

He used his great-niece and great-nephew, Elena and Garrett Treece from Hays, to portray a young girl trusting Santa to tell Jason "Hi" as he guides his sleigh out among the stars on Christmas eve.

"When the song was first released, it received good regional response," Wayne Billinger said in a news release about the DVD. "Because of the popularity of the song and the user-friendly aspects of today's media, I thought the message might be served as a visual."

Donetta Robben, owner of the online store Soul Reflections, wrote the news release for Billinger's latest project and communicated with him nearly every day the past couple of months.

"He had this weird feeling that this was going to be really great," Robben said. "Maybe this is the thing that he was supposed to do that's very special."

Billinger served on the city commission for eight years, including two different four-year terms during the time between 1997 and 2007, and was mayor twice during that time span.

Billinger stepped down from the commission two different times, including two years ago, to spend more time with his family. In addition to his teenage daughter, Billinger also has a son, Michael, a student at Fort Hays State University.

"He had real passions for downtown and the parks," said Troy Hickman, who came on the commission the same time as Billinger. "He was very supportive of downtown, very involved in downtown business activity."

Hickman said Billinger had a special knack of dealing with people.

"He really took time to listen to folks," Hickman said. "His pride was our community."

Wayne Billinger, surrounded by music while growing up with six siblings in Victoria, started a variety show of comedy, song and dance called the Sweet & Sour Krauts in the late 1970s, and played in several musical groups through the years, including the current FOURSTAR Quartet.

The video can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zGuMDYoo0g or by Googling "Santa, Please Tell Jason 'Hi.' "

The DVD can be purchased online at www.SoulReflect.net. The DVD costs $6, plus $3.50 shipping and handling.

Billinger had supper with a friend at a local restaurant Saturday night after choir practice, and Rich Billinger said his brother couldn't wait "to get home and see how many hits he had on that video."

"He was excited there was that much interest, 200 or so hits by Saturday," Rich Billinger added.

Wayne Billinger had the last word.

In a thank you to people visiting the YouTube site, Billinger ends with the message, "This holiday season, may joy fill your heart and love fill you home. And, in the new year, may your journeys be blessed wherever you roam."