Pocatello man lighting up the neighborhood for decades has no plans to stop
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - For more than four decades, Revo Williams has been telling people to "follow the glow" during the holiday season.
In this case, "the glow" is his house, illuminated by nearly 30,000 lights.
If you’ve driven on Beth Street anytime over the last month, you’ve probably come across the Williams' house.
“It didn’t start out this extreme, no, that has built through the years," Revo said. "I try to add something to the display every year.”
This year, some 27,500 lights shine brightly in the Pocatello night. But an effort of that size doesn’t happen overnight. Each year, Revo begins his process in September, spending nearly 20 hours a week at work, with the hope of finishing up by Thanksgiving.
“If I don’t start that early, I will not be able to get it finished,” he explained.
Even at 76, Revo has no plans to slow his holiday spirit.
“As long as this old body holds together and allows me to do it, she [Pat] gets a little panicked when I’m up on the roof, putting the lights up there, but, yeah, as long as I’m able to do it, I will keep doing this.”
For Revo and his wife, Pat, the Christmas cheer doesn’t stop at the door.
“I’ve always done the outside and she’s in charge of doing the inside,” Revo explained.
The inside of their Pocatello home has been getting Pat’s holiday treatment for years, but she says most people don’t even know about it.
“Probably not, but you know, we love it and our grandchildren love it," Pat said. "We’ve raised our children here and it’s become kind of a tradition and it’s something that we want them to remember.”
While the outside of their home has won numerous accolades from the Chamber of Commerce’s Snowflake Award to the Griswold Award, the joy it brings to others is all they care about.
“We enjoy so much the smiles on the people when they see us and tell us they’ve driven by and how much they’ve enjoyed it and, so that’s all the reward we need,” Revo said.
Even though the display takes nearly two months to construct, the Williams plans to have it all taken down right around New Year's.
