It is with a sad heart that we send the news to her many, many friends, fans, and AdventureWomen guests, that Susan Eckert, the vibrant founder and spirit behind AdventureWomen, passed away early this morning, peacefully, in her beloved home, surrounded by loved ones.
Susan Eckert and her mare List, one of her two Icelandic horses, at home in Montana.
For those of you who knew Susan personally, you know that she was an amazing woman, a creative and courageous trail blazer who dared to adventure – on so many levels. She loved staking out new territory – from venturing to unexplored destinations while with the Peace Corps, to eventually devoting her life to sharing her love of travel with other women, beginning way back in 1982.
Susan was never afraid of figuring out new things or making mistakes, even if she had no experience doing whatever it was – from building houses to learning to tölt on Icelandic horses to using Instagram. She was fearless and she had tremendous stamina, working hard at perfecting the AdventureWomen “gestalt” in every itinerary she crafted, every associate she hired, every project she started and every photograph she took and edited from her many trips all over the world.
She was also a collector — of life experiences, of new places, of relationships, of laughter, and love. She had intersecting circles of friends which stretched across continents, decades, and experiences. And she didn’t believe in doing something unless it was fun. After all, she would say, “What’s the point?!”
Susan truly lived according to the saying she ended every email with, “Life isn’t measured in how many breaths you take, but in the moments that take your breath away.”
In honor of all Susan gave, to all of us, collectively and individually, a tribute page has been created open to anyone who wishes to share stories and remembrances of this force of nature and incredible woman. We have also created a compilation video of images celebrating Susan’s life on YouTube.
We are so proud to be carrying on Susan’s legacy here at AdventureWomen. Her talent, courage, determination, high standards, brains, and heart will always be the essential energy which continues to power AdventureWomen long into the future.
