The Massachusetts man who grew this year’s stunning Rockefeller Center Christmas tree may not be able to attend the lighting ceremony on December 4.
Earl Albert, of West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, suffered a stroke just days after donating the 74-foot Norway spruce he planted with his late wife, Leslie, on November 7 in an event that drew nearly 800 spectators, according to Berkshire Eagle.
He is now recovering in a hospital in Albany, New York, and his family is hoping he will recover enough to stand in the heart of New York City to watch as his beloved tree is lit.
‘We thank everyone for their well-wishes and thoughtful messages,’ the family told the TODAY Show on Wednesday.
‘Earl has been recovering from a stroke and is receiving great care. He is looking forward to the Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting and working hard to be able to attend in-person.’
A Facebook post from the family also encouraged fans of the tree to write to Albert.
‘Let’s show Earl some real Christmas spirit and cheer while he recovers,’ it said.
Earl and Leslie planted the spruce as newlyweds in 1967, and watched as it grew from a waist-high shrub to 74-feet tall.
‘We first used to decorate it when it was small, and then it got so big that I couldn’t decorate it,’ Earl previously told NBC.
The towering beauty eventually caught the eye of Rockefeller Center’s head gardener, Erik Pauze, in 2020.
He was so taken with the spruce that he visited the Albert home, sparking a moment the family believes may have been fate – as it came just days after Leslie passed away, leading Earl and Leslie’s son, Michael, to wonder if Pauze was ‘an angel or something.’
Michael’s wife, Shawn, remarked that Leslie’s influence was clear in the moment. ‘This is definitely her handiwork,’ she said.
Earl also said that donating the tree to Rockefeller Center is ‘probably one of the greatest honors’ of his life, adding that his late wife would have been ‘thrilled.’
‘Honestly, it’s a tribute to my mom. It’s a new beginning for the tree and for our family,’ said Michael.
After it was cut down, the tree embarked on its journey to New York City, where it will soon be adorned with over 50,000 multi-colored LED lights and crowned with a Swarovski star covered in three million crystals.
Once it is taken down in mid-January, the spruce will serve as lumber for Habitat for Humanity, to build a home for a family.
Meanwhile, the family plans to create a memorial for Leslie in the spot where the tree once stood, marking a new beginning not only for the tree but also for the Albert family.
To honor Leslie, the family plans to create a memorial in the spot where the tree once stood, marking a new beginning not only for the tree but for the Albert family.