Knox County man gifting the magic of Christmas from his garage
Twinkling lights and the sounds of carols are some of Ray Boling’s seasonal greetings to a nostalgic Christmas.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -Twinkling lights and the sounds of carols are some of Ray Boling’s seasonal greetings to a nostalgic Christmas.
“After my dad passed, my mom did everything in her power to make sure we had the best Christmas that we would ever have,” Boling said.
Since losing his father a month before Christmas, he decks his halls and rooms with boughs of holly.
“It’s all about the kids - just to see their faces light up,” Boling said.
There’s even a room inside his home that is fit for Santa and his crew.
“There’s something magical about that hand painted touch,” Boling said.
In the last six years, Ray has taught himself how to restore more than a thousand old worn and torn decorations. He does it all out of his garage. Some of the items date back to the 60′s.
“If you don’t get these exactly right, the memory people have of these are lost,”
Every broken piece is put back together by a man who celebrates the joys of Christmas year round.
“You can’t buy these anymore,” said Boiling. These are things of the past and we just want to keep that memory alive.”
WVLT News is still trying to crack whether he’s Santa or one of his little helpers.
“We’ll never tell,” Boiling said.
Ray also designs Christmas decorations that can be seen and purchased at Christmas Done Bright in Seveirville.
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