Burt Shavitz, the Burt behind Durham-based Burt's Bees who co-founded the natural cosmetics company before it sold to Clorox, has died. He was 80.
A spokeswoman for Burt's Bees says Shavtiz died Sunday at his home in rural Maine, surrounded by family and friends.
Shavitz was a hippie making a living by selling honey when his life was altered by a chance encounter with a hitchhiking Roxanne Quimby. She was a single mother and a back-to-the-lander who impressed Shavitz with her ingenuity.
In the 1980s she began making products from his beeswax, and they became partners. An image of Burt's face - and his untamed beard - was featured on labels.
Their business partnership ended after the business moved in 1994 to North Carolina. In 2007, Clorox purchased Burt's Bees for $925 million.
