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[MorningLover]

Today. com: His wife adored the holidays. Days after she died, he found out Rockefeller Center wanted their tree.

The tree was planted by the Albert family back in 1967 in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, when Earl Albert and his wife, Leslie Albert, were still newlyweds.

When the tree was planted, it was only waist-high. Now, 57 years later, the Norway spruce stands 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 Albert told NBC’s Joe Fryer in an interview with his family.

The towering beauty in western Massachusetts caught the attention of Rockefeller Center's head gardener, Erik Pauze, in 2020. Pauze adored the tree so much that he knocked on the Alberts front door to inquire about the tree.

His timing made Earl Albert's son, Michael, wonder if Pauze might be "an angel or something" because a few days before Pauze arrived, his mom, Leslie, had died.

“This is definitely her handiwork," Michael Albert's wife, Shawn, said of the moment.

Earl Albert and his late wife, Leslie.

When asked how it feels to donate their tree to Rockefeller Center, Earl Albert said that it's "probably one of the greatest honors" of his life.

He added that his late wife would be "thrilled" with what's become of the tree.

Michael Albert noted that donating the tree also symbolizes a new chapter for their family.

“Honestly, it’s a tribute to my mom. It’s a new beginning for the tree. It’s a new beginning for our family," he said.

Earl Albert with his son, Michael, and Michael's wife, Shawn.

The Albert family will get the chance to see the tree lighting in person this year, during which Earl Albert said his late wife will be on his mind.

To honor Leslie Albert, 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.