If you got hit with that major freeze early April it could have been effected if and only if it had started to bud out during the March hot spell and I have NO idea where you live or you recieved the same weather patterns. But that being said it would have had to be visably leafed out early April...and all of my older ones have all patially leafed since that debacle and they were fully leafed at freeze time. I would wait a bit some of it may still be alive ...I find it hard to believe it is totally dead if it is of that size...anything is possibble but if it was healthy last fall ( you didn't say...so I assume it was) it would take agent orange or something that powerful to TOTALLY kill an old large tree with no previous symptoms over one winter IMHO...David

Thanks for responding. The tree did seem to be healthy in the Fall, with the exception of a couple of branches that the leaves appeared to turn brown and curl up earlier than the rest of the tree. We did get strange weather on Long Island, NY, with a late freeze a couple of weeks ago, but I don't think that the tree had leaves on it. I'm going to wait a little while longer and maybe call an Arborist over to take a look at it. We would be pretty upset if we lost such an amazing tree of that size!

I think the Arborist is a good idea something doesn't sound right. Even if it was showing a couple of branches possibly dieing at end of season ( maybe yes maybe no??) It most likey would have leafed out and had branches wilt and die individually if it had a systemic problem ...I don't think it would have totally kaput over it's dormancy period...and evn though I'm addicted to JM's I think even a causual "user" would have noticed if it was leafing out before the freeze... and if just budding it would not have been effected that much... add to that an old tree like that would have seen MUCH more severe winters than the last one we had ... I am uncertain what the problem is and an expert may have a better handle that actually sees the tree up close and personal Whatever you do leave it be for now...being as old as you say it is it is likely not grafted and on it's own roots and therefore may come up from the bottom if it has some problem and small new tree tree is better than none...David