A Secret Santa has told an Ohio man not to expect any more pecan pies, which arrived mysteriously for 35 years, according to a report.

Willis Welch, 87, told The Columbus Dispatch that the pie that showed up at his Columbus home during the recent holiday season was accompanied by a note that said, "It has been a great ride."

The person who signed it "Pie Fairy" also wrote: "My wings are shorter now and I am a little too fat to fly anymore. But I still love you!!"

The Dispatch reported that Welch still doesn't know who was sending his perennial pastries, though whoever did it knew him well enough to know of his fondness for pecan pies.

Welch, who served with the navy in the South Pacific during World War II, believes the first one came in 1976.

His two daughters have denied any involvement.

"We kept telling him not to eat the pie," daughter Debbie Mathew, 55, of Pickerington, told the Dispatch.

But Welch ignored their advice, telling the paper "I have an insatiable sweet tooth."

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.