Frank Knight spent decades keeping Herbie, New England’s tallest elm tree, alive. The tree lived for 217 years and under Knight’s care survived 14 bouts of Dutch Elm diseases.

Two years ago, the tree had to come down. At the time, Knight was 101. As the Associated Press reports:

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“His time has come,” Knight told The Associated Press at the time. “And mine is about due, too.”


Knight passed away yesterday. He was 103. And he’ll be buried in a coffin carved from Herbie’s wood, which his family commissioned secretly when the tree died.