Mornings often began with Dan Russ birdwatching on his tree-lined property.
On cold days, he’d look through the kitchen window in the house his family owned for generations. On warm days, he’d watch from the porch overlooking a yard shaded by trees his ancestors planted.
He’d see cardinals, sparrows and blue jays soar across the yard, often flying past a 75-foot Norway Spruce that stood alongside the home’s garage.
The tree stretched so far into the sky that Russ attempted to convince his wife that they should rent a crane to decorate it for Christmas.
This tree, he said, could even be the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
“It just kind of opened up the conversation that this tree is big enough,” Judy Russ said. “If we need to rent a crane to decorate it, we have something big here.”
Last month, five years after Dan Russ passed away at the age of 32, a crane finally pulled alongside their tree in East Greenbush, New York. Not to decorate it, but to lower it onto a flatbed truck for its journey to New York City, where it will stand as the 2025 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
As the tree was being cut down, and as the Russ family looked on, signs from above appeared.
Overhead, in the blue skies that often held Dan Russ’ gaze as he bird-watched, flew a rare bald eagle.
“It just made us feel like Dan was there,” Judy Russ said. “If he was ever going to send some kind of symbol that he was guiding this tree out, giving us his blessing, giving the family’s blessing, it would be a bald eagle.”
‘We get to share a piece of our family with the world‘
The spruce planted nearly eight decades ago by Dan’s great grandparents, Edward and Mattie May Doran, became the epitome of a family tree.
Its branches represented the multiple generations that went on to live beneath them.
Dan’s grandfather, who was born in the house’s living room, grew alongside it. Dan’s parents, and later his sister, got married on the property near the tree. Dan and Judy, shortly after moving into the home in 2017, welcomed their son Liam as the fifth generation to live beneath it.
That tree, which blended into their family backdrop for the better part of a century, now stands tall for the world to see.
“This family tree rooted in so much family history gets to be what everyone comes and celebrates under this year,” Judy said. “We’re so happy that we get to share a piece of our family with the world.”
Her husband, she adds, would feel the same way.
“He would be equally as happy,” Judy said. “He’s so proud of his family, he’s so proud of his property, he’s so proud of our town East Greenbush, that to put this on the world scale would really make his day.”
‘Keep the Christmas magic and traditions alive’
Dan and Judy Russ first met in 2006 at a Halloween party while in college.
Judy, dressed as a football player, described Dan, who wore an MC Hammer jumpsuit, as the life of that party and every other he attended.
“He was always the funniest, the loudest,” she said. “So, he just was the center of attention where I gravitated to.”
They began dating, eventually married and went on to form family traditions, one of which was cutting down their own Christmas tree each year.
“We’d make a whole day of it,” Judy said.
They’d find one at a local tree farm, bring it home to be decorated, have a nice dinner and then watch a Christmas movie alongside the tree’s glow.
“It’s interesting that our tree got picked [for Rockefeller Center],” Judy said, “because one of Dan’s favorite days of the year was when we would pick our own Christmas tree.”
But a family tradition often fades to a cherished memory following the loss of a loved one who was so integral in carrying it on. After Dan passed away in 2020, when their son was just 2 years old, Judy said she temporarily resorted to an artificial Christmas tree.
“But when you’re a parent,” she said, “you have to do whatever you can to keep the Christmas magic and traditions alive.”
Three years ago, she returned to the local farm with her family to cut down their own tree. Judy and Liam started a new tradition of decorating the tree together, with each ornament that she had collected with Dan taking her on what she called “a walk down memory lane.”
“I think the best way to keep Dan’s memory alive was not to cave in and give up on Christmas even though we were sad,” she said, “but to honor him by making new memories and traditions that blended with the old ones.”
Like by donating the family tree in his honor.
‘A legacy we get to be part of’
Visiting Rockefeller Center has been a longtime holiday tradition for Judy Russ.
While growing up in nearby Queens, she’d go see the Christmas tree each year with family. She attended the 2001 lighting ceremony and years later brought college friends to see the tree.
“It’s such a big part of my family’s rooted Christmas history that I cannot believe this is a legacy we get to be part of,” she said.
Last holiday season, Judy visited the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree with Liam.
“We saw the tree, and I just kind of compared mine,” she said. “And I was like, ‘I think we have something here.’”
In January, Judy took a photo of the tree covered in snow. Six months later, that photo was sent via text message to Rockefeller Center’s head gardener Erik Pauze.
Judy’s best friend’s father, a former security supervisor at Rockefeller Center, sent the picture to Pauze, who has selected the tree every holiday season for the last 30-plus years.
“I got a text of a picture from an old buddy of mine who I used to work with at Rockefeller Center,” Pauze told NBC New York. “I said, ‘Where’s that?’ and when he told me I said, ‘Wow! I’m pretty close. I’ll be there tomorrow.’”
It was the first of many trips to East Greenbush for Pauze to water and care for the tree while considering it for Rockefeller Center. He found, not only a tree, but a buddy who would often use the tree as a jungle gym.
“He truly has become one of my son’s best friends,” Judy said, adding that Pauze and Liam even developed a secret handshake. “He’s just been really wonderful. I’m going to miss having him around all the time.”
Pauze informed Russ in August that the tree had been selected, and she said she received the full blessing from Dan’s family to donate the tree.
“It became a perfect tree to be in front of 30 Rockefeller Plaza,” Pauze said. “And it became a tree from a family generational property. So, it’s a good way to remember their family, as well.”
‘It makes it feel like he’s with us again’
The tree was taken down in early November — with family, friends, locals and a bald eagle in attendance to watch.
“I wasn’t prepared for how empty it would look,” said Judy, who added that new plantings will be put on the property courtesy of Rockefeller Center. “So, I was a little sad, but the happiness of where it’s going and the history of Rock Center and all the joy it gets to spread for Christmas cheer, definitely overtakes the sadness of seeing it gone.
“We are so thrilled that this family tree gets to be the world’s tree.”
Judy, Liam and family members were at Rockefeller Center last month when the tree was delivered, carrying out the annual donor tradition of driving a spike into the tree’s trunk.
They’ll return Wednesday for the lighting ceremony as their tree oversees one final family function honoring Dan and his ancestors.
“This is helping fill a massive hole,” Judy said. “It makes it feel like he’s with us again, bringing all of our family together.”
Once the countdown for the lighting concludes, and the family tree shines in Rockefeller Center just as her husband once envisioned, Judy will be birdwatching.
“I’ll definitely keep an eye out, see what’s flying around” she said. “Even a pigeon, I’d be happy.”
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