Better late than never: Lombard contractor uncovers forgotten Christmas present from 46 years ago

Lombard contractor Tim King has learned some valuable lessons over the course of his career. One in particular: always check the area before closing up drywall.

That practice paid off in a surprising way last month when King discovered a long-forgotten Christmas gift hidden within the walls of his parents’ home.

On Dec. 27, King was doing some minor renovations — including changing out tile and replacing a vanity — to a bathroom in the home his family has owned for more than 100 years. King, who owns T. King Construction Services, was about to close up the drywall when he thought: “I better poke my head in here and make sure nothing fell in.”

If anything, he expected to find a misplaced tool. Instead, he discovered a gift wrapped in Disney-themed holiday paper addressed to “Timothy.”

“It had my name on it, which was insane,” said King, who was six at the time the gift was set aside for him. “It’s amazing the gift wrap lasted so long.”

Unwrapping the gift, he discovered a set of Matchbox Thunder Jets from 1978 in what appeared to be mint condition. It now sits, unopened, on a shelf in his office, a present now intended for his future grandkids.

According to King, his parents hid family Christmas presents in the attic. Every year as they prepared to depart for church on Christmas Eve, he recalls his mom making excuses to go back inside. Then, upon returning home from the service, they opened the door to find presents beneath the tree.

As for how the Matchbox set got into the drywall void, King believes it slipped down from the attic and landed between the wall of the original home (which his great-grandfather built in the early 1920s) and one of several additions built by his grandfather and his father.

King’s parents, who’ve lived in the house since 1971, were generous when it came to gift-giving.

“We were very blessed, so I don’t know if one (gift) would be missed,” said King.

Every Christmas, his parents made sure King and his sister received the same amount of gifts, a practice they continue to this day. Although the discovery of the missing Thunder Jets confirmed that wasn’t always the case.

“I got screwed out of a gift all this time,” he said with a laugh. “My sister got more than me for 46 years.”

King’s social media post about the discovery sparked interest from “Inside Edition” as well as media outlets in Chicago, Peoria, Seattle, and even Brazil and Norway.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20250113/news/better-late-than-never-lombard-contractor-uncovers-forgotten-christmas-present-from-46-years-ago/