ColoradoBiz Magazine Lawrence “Bud” Stoecker devised a Space Age substitute for the typical ornament-laden evergreen December 10, 2020 Modern Christmas Trees are all about honoring the legacy of his late grandfather, Lawrence “Bud” Stoecker. An aerospace engineer turned prolific builder of A-frame cabins in the Rockies, Stoecker devised a Space Age substitute for the typical ornament-laden evergreen or one of its plastic facsimiles. His tree-shaped cones of concentric rings, bedecked with lights and baubles, were born as cardboard prototypes in the mid-1960s, then Stoecker moved to Plexiglass for the real deal for his home in Broomfield. Stoecker passed away in 2012 after battling Alzheimer’s disease, and Bliss started a company and patented the design to highlight his grandfather’s illustrious life. Each tree features Stoecker’s signature engraved on the bottom ring. “It started out as a tribute,” Bliss says.