Davey Tree Flipbooks

January/February 2016 | 9 The remaining section of an ash tree that reads "DAD" surprises Davey client Cathy Pearce. Her late father-in-law had helped her husband plant the tree 20 years ago, but it needed to be removed last fall. Erik Youngblood, Matt Regoni and Anthony Defazio (pictured from left to right) are happy to have provided client Cathy Pearce a keepsake from a special ash tree they removed from her backyard. It was more than superb service and tree trimming skills that earned three Northeast Detroit R/C crewmembers a five-star review on The Davey Tree Expert Company Facebook page. It was more than something any tree care manual or training session can teach. It was kindness. Cathy Pearce, a Davey client from Romeo, Michigan, was sad to see her ash tree suffer; her late father-in-law had helped her husband plant it 20 years ago. But it was time to say goodbye to the tree last fall when emerald ash borer damage threatened its survival. "It was planted in the middle of our backyard; a very central location," Pearce says. Pearce had just recently experienced the passing of her father-in-law, Frank, which made the tree removal more difficult to face. After all, that ash tree Frank helped put in the ground had stood within what Pearce's family called the "Grandparents' Easement," or the path between the Pearces' backyard and the condo where Frank and his wife lived. And, because Frank was an avid bird watcher, the ash tree had hosted several bird feeders as well. When Davey arrived to the property to inspect the tree and ultimately remove it, the crew involved was aware of the situation and acted considerately. It was the first time foreman Matt Regoni and trimmers Anthony Defazio and Erik Youngblood had worked at Pearce's property. But they certainly made a great first impression. "After cutting down two trees and trimming a third, my yard is immaculate and neat as a pin," Pearce says. "The crew was also very respectful and polite of the neighbors' space. They were professional and took the time to make sure everything in our neighborhood was safe during the removal." The crew had already removed the tree when Pearce returned home. She explained how she hated to see it go. "I didn't want to take the whole tree away from her," Youngblood says, explaining how he thought it would be nice to present Pearce with a piece of the tree to keep. His solution? To carve "DAD " into a wooden disc from the trunk of the ash tree Davey's crew removed. "I thought it was awesome one of my crewmembers, who began working for Davey very recently, wanted to do some- thing special for the client," Regoni says. "I also know how it feels to lose someone that close to you; I lost my mother nine years ago." When Pearce heard the doorbell ring at the end of the day, she then opened the door to three smiling faces and a keep- sake to preserve in memory of her ash tree and father-in-law. "They knew it's the small things that can mean so much," Pearce explains. "Erik knew the gift would mean a lot to me—and Matt even instructed me how to preserve it! I've never been so touched in all my life." As leaves continued to fall to the ground last autumn, Pearce was unsure whether she and her husband would decide to replace their ash tree. But one thing is for certain: "If I could rate Davey a million stars," she says, "I would." FOREVER ROOTED

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