This is the time of year when conifers not only discard old foliage, they discard branches that no longer photosynthesize. Deciduous trees drop branches at this time also. Your tree appears to be in a fair amount of shade, at least from what I see on that image, and that would exacerbate the death of branches, especially if the shade is progressively increasing year by year due to the growth of nearby trees.

the pix ar so out of focus.... i cant really make anything of them ....

ken

sorry photos aren't clear, not sure why. here is a different angle.

I am not sure what to do about the shade encroaching...I do hope the dying tree I had taken down a few weeks ago will bring in sunshine come spring. Are these too large to relocate?

This looks like an older Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Filicoides'. Each winter I put on gloves and knock off the yellow stuff, which falls off easily. I'm going to try to keep mine compact and short (less than 7 or 8 feet) by selectively pruning the tips each winter. AL

When there is that much dead foliage I wonder about possible recent drought effects.

I agree with the Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Filicoides' identification. If you've removed some shade, and the plant will be in more sun, then it should rebound. It will take a few years, though. I think they are nice specimens, so I'd hang in there.