Widower recovering from stroke before Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony

Earl Albert, a widower from Massachusetts, is recovering in a hospital after suffering a stroke. His health issues come just weeks before the lighting ceremony for the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree he donated in honor of his late wife. Albert, who grew the 74-foot Norway spruce, had hoped to attend the ceremony on December 4. The tree, the first from outside New York since 1959, will be decorated with 50,000 lights and topped with a crystal star. Albert's connection to the tree dates back to 1967 when he and his wife planted it together. He views the donation as a significant tribute to her memory.