James McGrath of Pittsfield's Parks Department leads the city's recognition of Arbor Day. A plaque honoring the late Bob Presutti was installed next to an elm planted in tribute at the library.

McGrath, RSVP Director Lisa Torrey and Mayor Peter Marchetti 'plant' the American elm in Presutti's name.

McGrath tells the crowd about Presutti's interest not just in trees but the safety of Parks Department crew.

Torrey talks about Presutti's other passion: RSVP. He contributed more than 10,600 hours to RSVP.

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Bob Presutti, right, is presented the Hebert Award in 2017 for his volunteer efforts at Springside Park. He died in 2023 at age 88.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A tree has been planted next to the Berkshire Athenaeum in honor of local "giant" Robert Presutti.

Officials celebrated Arbor Day on Friday by installing a commemorative plaque next to the American elm sapling. This is a tree that James McGrath, the city's park program manager, said Presutti would have been particularly proud of.

"Today is a day where we yes, celebrate trees, but today is also a day where here in the city we intentionally try to acknowledge the good work of folks in our community who spend their time and their efforts and their talents to make Pittsfield a more beautiful place," he said to a crowd of about 20 people.

"Today we are honoring a longtime community volunteer named Bob Presutti. I'm sure a lot of you here know Bob and know his contributions to the city, not only when it comes to trees and parks but also to the Retired Senior Volunteer Program."

The longtime volunteer passed away last year at the age of 88. He contributed more than 10,600 hours to RSVP and had great impacts on the Parks Department over the years from sharing his knowledge and talents to ensuring that workers were safe when working on trees.

"This morning I went through my emails to see how many emails Bob Presutti sent me since the year 2001 when I started with the city. Bob Presutti sent me 14,000 emails and nearly every single one of those was about trees," McGrath said, prompting laughter and smiles from attendees.

One thread struck him as particularly important because it showed Presutti's empathy when it comes to the safety of city workers while caring for trees.

"There were multiple emails from Bob about the need to get the Parks Department maintenance guys into a program learning about chainsaw safety and learning about ladder safety. He was really into making certain that our city workers were well cared for and had all of the instruction that they needed and in fact, he even offered his own time and services after he became certified to teach our city workers," McGrath said.

"And in fact, we were here this morning with folks from the DPS unit planting this tree they were talking about Bob and how Bob would have planted this tree so his legacy resonates. Bob was absolutely a giant in our city."

RSVP Director Lisa Torrey said she knew Presutti from her previous role in the Office of Veterans Services. She recalled first meeting him and hearing about the city's trees, commending him for being "like an encyclopedia" while being passionate and sincere about those topics.

"His love of nature, his love for the trees, and his love for the community was just as extensive as his knowledge. He knew that even the smallest actions create positive changes for the environment," she said.

"Bob was a role model for so many. He made himself available at Springside Park on the second Tuesday of each month from April to November to provide people with knowledge about trees, answer questions, and provide guidance about proper pruning techniques. Even during the pandemic, Bob was relentless in his passion for maintaining the trees. He headed up a group of 10 RSVP volunteers and taught them how to prune and care for our city trees."

McGrath pointed out that the American elm is a disease-resistant variety that will not succumb to the Dutch elm disease that many elm trees do.

"I hope that one day this tree will be the state champion elm tree. Of course, the state champion elm tree is just up the road in Lanesborough on Summer Street," he said.

"We hope that this tree is well cared for over time and I know between the folks at the library and RSVP and myself, we will make sure this tree has a long and fruitful future and that it appropriately acknowledges Bob for many years to come."

Mayor Peter Marchetti presented a proclamation, saying it is "probably the first time in eight years that the mayor has shown up," recalling stepping in as City Council president for past ceremonies.

"It's always great to come and watch new life being planted but also honor our volunteers," he said.

Arbor Day ceremonies began in the city in 1996 and RSVP has been involved from day one. McGrath said he got involved in 1999 and he believes this led to him being hiring into the Parks Department in 2001.

The city will host a Bob Presutti Tribute Day at Springside Park at noon on Sunday to continue the celebration. The City Council on Tuesday accepted the gift of a $3,500 stone bench from Presutti's family that will reside at the park.

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