Judy Russ gave the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in memory of her late husband.

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree to Honor Late Husband

It’s that time of year again, filled with a lot of anticipation about the Christmas season!

The massive Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, hailing from New York, will be set up in Manhattan on Saturday. This moment is particularly special for one family fulfilling a dream to showcase their beloved tree to the world.

Judy Russ shared that donating this tree is in memory of her late husband, Dan. He lovingly cared for the Norway spruce on their farm in Rensselaer County until his untimely death in 2020 at the age of 32.

“I really wish he could be here to see this,” Russ mentioned during an interview. “We always dreamed of this tree being at Rockefeller Center. It would be incredibly meaningful for our family’s tree to become, well, America’s Christmas tree, or even the world’s.”

This tree, measuring 74 feet and 11 inches, was transported from West Stockbridge, Massachusetts. After its display, materials from the tree will go towards building 42 homes for Habitat for Humanity in Massachusetts.

Russ fondly reminisced about the tree growing in their yard, recalling how Dan once joked that he’d need a crane to decorate it properly for the holidays.

The spruce, which Liam, their 7-year-old son, loved using as a personal jungle gym, was planted by Dan’s great-grandparents about 75 years ago. The Russ family has cherished it since they inherited the property in 2017.

In July, Judy Russ applied for their tree to be the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and used family connections to get photos of it to Eric Pause, the center’s head gardener.

It didn’t take long for Pause to make a trip to confirm the tree’s suitability. She recalled feeling like she might be dreaming: “I was like, ‘This is too good to be true, so I have to go back, right?’”

Liam didn’t hide his excitement, stating, “I can’t wait for everyone around the world to see it.”

The tree is set to be cut down on Thursday and will make its grand entrance into Rockefeller Center on Saturday morning, just in time for the annual lighting ceremony on December 3rd.

For Judy Russ, this whole experience is a mix of joy and sorrow. She reflected on how the 50,000 lights adorning the tree would shine in memory of Dan, who was also Liam’s father.

“I know I’ll probably be inconsolable when the tree is lit, probably crying in my living room,” she admitted. “But it’s going to be something special.”