Oyster Bay's Landmark 'Sad Tree' Falls In Storm, Mourned By Generations Of Residents

OYSTER BAY-EAST NORWICH, NY — Oyster Bay residents are extending a goodbye to a beloved community landmark that slouched along the shoreline for years. Generations of North Shore families have shared in the beauty of the 'sad tree.'

'Sad tree,' stood as a symbol of perseverance and community at the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park in Oyster Bay, and has fallen after Saturday night's brief storm rocked the North Shore with heavy rain and powerful gusts.

Residents believe the tree earned her name after Hurricane Sandy damaged nearly half of her limbs in 2012, leaving her with a drooping appearance.

Aside from providing shade on a hot beach day, 'sad tree' has been the backdrop of many photoshoots, events, and heartfelt moments.

The 'sad tree' has seen it all: children playing, laughing under the tree, as they kick up sand along the shoreline. Couples sharing a kiss and holding hands as they watch the sunrise. Families walking their dog, or pushing a stroller at sunset. The tree has been there, fighting to stand after each storm for her people.

She has also been the focal point of countless photos and paintings. The town's admiration for the tree reached outside the beach to a local brewery – the Oyster Bay Brewery named a beer after her, called the 'Sadtree Stout.'

Residents are now sharing fond memories of their beloved tree and what she meant to each of them.

Meri Kassner's admiration for the tree has been rooted in generations. 'Sad tree' watched her family grow up over the years.

"We used to sit under that tree with our grandmother when we were children," Kassner said. "Our grandma would sit in her folding lawn chair under that tree and watch us play. That was her favorite tree."

She spent many weekends with her sister, grandmother and great-grandmother, at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park. They would get ice cream from the snack bar, play on the playground, and spend the day enjoying the sun's rays at the beach. 'Sad tree' shaded her grandmother, providing a space to watch her grandchildren run freely.

"It was very special," she said.

For Oyster Bay resident Marilyn de Poto, the tree represented the resilience of the community itself.

"It's strange for a community to mourn a tree, but the 'sad tree' was beloved by the townspeople," she said. "She framed our sunset pictures and became an icon of the town."

The same week the tree had fallen, 'The Baymen's Memorial Monument' statue was unveiled just steps away as a lasting tribute to the sacrifices made by all baymen.

"It's a bittersweet 'passing of the torch,' but this will be a new spot for us to take our photos and watch our views of the bay," de Poto said.

Jennifer Klohr-Minicozzi said the tree became part of her family's connection to Oyster Bay.

"The 'sad tree' wasn't that at all," she said. "It brought so many people joy, and some shade."

To Klohr-Minicozzi, the tree served as a symbol of strength and protection for the community and left a lasting impact on her life.

"And now its job is done," she said, adding that the new role has been handed over to the Baymen statue.

"The tree was really something special," she said. "I even picked off a few small branches to bring home and put in water. If I could've taken the whole tree, I would have."

East Norwich resident Nancy Miller viewed the tree's fall as the end of an era.

"Perhaps she knew it was her time to go," she said. "It's sad to see her go. I'm hoping more trees will be planted on the beach in her honor."

Miller is not the only resident who wants to see the 'sad tree' remembered with a permanent marker. Many Oyster Bay residents suggested ways to carry on the 'sad tree's' honor, such as by planting trees, or creating a plaque or memorial statue.

Although the 'sad tree' has fallen, her legacy will live on in the people of Oyster Bay and the memories the tree has provided.