Linda Bean, heir to the L.L. Bean outdoor clothing and equipment brand and major donor to the Republican Party, has died at the age of 82.
Bean died March 23, business manager Veronica Carlson said.
“Linda was known for her incredible work ethic, entrepreneurial spirit, and her pride and dedication to her home state of Maine and the company her grandfather founded, L.L. Bean,” Carlson said. “Our hearts go out to her family and her friends.”
Her cause of death has not been disclosed.
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Linda Bean poses for a photo with a friend at a campaign rally held by Eric Trump for his father, President Donald Trump, on September 17, 2020 in Saco, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bucati)
People walk through the plaza at the entrance to the LL Bean flagship store in Freeport, Maine. (Gregory Reck/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)
Bean was famous for her entrepreneurial spiritIn 2007, he founded Perfect Maine Lobster Company.
Along with her lobster brand, she operated several general stores, inns, and vacation rentals along Maine’s rocky coast.
She also participated in Maine’s effort to obtain industry certification for sustainable lobster fishing in 2013. The certification was later revoked in 2022.
linda bean (Gordon Cibroski/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)
Bean was also an avid and outspoken Republican.
She was a major donor to Republican causes and ran two unsuccessful Congressional campaigns in 1988 and 1992.
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In 2017, the company faced a boycott after Bean attended a Donald Trump rally.
“It’s bullying,” Beane told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo at the time. “They want to control how we spend our money, what we buy, where we buy it. That’s wrong. It’s un-American.”
Customers come out of LL Bean in Freeport, Maine. (Sean Patrick Ouellet/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) called Bean a “shrewd businesswoman” who will be remembered for her love of the state.
“Linda Bean loved Maine. Its coastal communities, islands, and especially the art of the Wyeth family held a special place in her heart,” Collins said Sunday. Ta. “Linda was also a savvy businesswoman who promoted Maine lobster through her restaurants. I tried her famous lobster stew many times at her airport restaurant while she waited for my flight in Portland. I ate it.”
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Maine Gov. Janet Mills said she found common ground with Bean because of their “mutual love” for Maine.
“Although her politics didn’t align with mine, Linda and I loved our home state, the Maine coast and vibrant waterfront, Maine-inspired art, and the perfect Maine… We found common ground in our mutual love of lobster rolls,” one Democrat said. “I enjoyed her company and was impressed by her business acumen. On behalf of the people of Maine, I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to Linda’s family and her loved ones, and to the entire LL Her Bean community. I would like to express my deepest condolences.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
