Burt Shavitz, the Burt behind Burt's Bees, dies at 80

Burt Shavitz, the Maine beekeeper who co-founded the Burt's Bees natural cosmetics company and lent it his name and likeness, has died. He was 80.

A spokeswoman for Burt's Bees said Shavtiz died of respiratory complication Sunday in Bangor, Maine, surrounded by family and friends. On its website, the company said Shavitz "has left for greener fields and wilder woods."

Shavitz, a U.S. Army veteran and one-time photographer, was making a living by selling honey at a roadside stand in Maine when his life was altered by a chance encounter with a hitchhiking Roxanne Quimby, the Associated Press reported. She was a single mother and a back-to-the-lander who impressed Shavitz with her ingenuity.

Their personal care company was started in 1984, after Quimby began making candles out of unused wax from Shavitz' beehives. The pair made $20,000 in their first year and soon the company grew from making candles to lip balm, soaps, face washes, lotions and other personal care products that can now be found in 40 countries.

An image of Burt's face — and his untamed beard — adorned the company's labels.

Burt's Bees relocated to North Carolina in 1994 and the pair's business partnership ended. In 2007, Clorox purchased Burt's Bees for $925 million.

In a 2014 interview with AP, Shavitz said Quimby forced him out of the company after he had an affair with an employee. He received 37 acres of land in Maine and an undisclosed sum of money in the deal.

"Burt was a complex man who sought a simple life in pace with the seasons of nature on his land," the company said. "If there is one thing we will remember from Burt's life, in our fast‐paced, hi‐tech culture, it's to never lose sight of our relationship with nature."

The company encouraged fans to tweet stories, thoughts or condolences to #burtliveson.