Burt Shavitz, Jewish Burt’s Bees Founder, Dies at 80
Burt Shavtiz, founder of Burt’s Bees Image by Getty Images
Burt Shavitz, co-founder and namesake for natural care product company Burt’s Bees, has died, the company said on Sunday. He was 80.
Shavitz, a “a wild-bearded and free-spirited Maine man” and beekeeper, co-founded the company with artist Roxanne Quimby in 1984, the company said in a statement.
The pair started off making candles from beeswax before developing a few years later the lip balm that exploded the company’s popularity and remains its best selling product, it said.
“It is with broken hearts that we must convey the saddest news: Burt Shavitz, our co-founder and namesake, has left for greener fields and wilder woods,” the company said in a statement on Facebook.
A company spokeswoman told USA Today that Shavitz died of respiratory issues on Sunday surrounded by family and friends in Bangor, Maine.
The company was acquired by Clorox Co in 2007.
This video features the Jewish beekeeper Liane Newton in New York City.
I’m personally matching all gifts to the Forward, up to $36,000. Can I match your gift now?
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
That’s why I’m paying it Forward, by matching $36,000 of reader gifts. It’s an investment in the Forward’s newsroom, to continue telling the American Jewish story with truth and independence.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
