July 20, 1961 – July 15, 2022
Eric Love
Eric Richard Love, born July 20, 1961, passed away on July 15, 2022. Five days short of his 61st birthday, Eric died in a tragic highway accident in eastern Montana. His untimely death leaves behind a grieving community of family, friends and colleagues.
Eric’s enduring love affair with Montana began at age 10, when his parents read an article about the Bob Marshall Wilderness and spontaneously packed up their two boys in a Volkswagen van and headed West from Pennsylvania. For many summers, Eric’s family would spend a month backpacking into ‘The Bob’, carrying flour and cornmeal to augment the bounty of cutthroat trout and huckleberries.
Eric attended Drexel University and then went to work on the Philadelphia Stock Exchange. Shortly thereafter, his friend and mentor, Ron Cohen, convinced Eric to join him in Chicago. Eric worked on the Chicago Board of Trade where he proudly owned a seat for several years. It was here that Eric learned to take in volumes of data, analyze trends and make quick decisions. He learned he loved making deals, but he was still searching for fulfillment and meaning. Eric added a Masters in Natural Resource Management from Antioch University and discovered a passion for conservation.
in 1997, Eric brought his career and his passion for conserving land together while working for The Trust for Public land in Santa Fe, NM. Eric worked for TPL for 15 years, completing an astounding number of conservation projects across the South- and Intermountain West. It was during this time that Eric took on his favorite role as Dad to Sabine (20) and Alex (18) with his first wife, Deborah. He loved working hard to protect important habitats during the day and exploring them with his kids on weekends and vacations. His proudest moments were sharing ‘The Bob’ with them and, later, cheering them on at their Nordic and Biathlon races at Crosscut. He admired Sabine’s independence and intensity and Alex’s thoughtful approach to life that had him always out fishing, camping and exploring with friends.
Eric and his family moved to Montana in 2005 where he quickly made a historic contribution to his new home with the completion of the Montana Legacy Project; 300,000 acres of Montana timberland was protected. Eric’s vision for this project and his determination to see it through against all odds was instrumental in protecting vital grizzly habitat and solving the checkerboard land ownership issues in the Seeley-Swan area. He then joined The Nature Conservancy in 2010, where he was encouraged to leverage his love and talent for negotiating creative deals with innovative investing strategies to protect our beautiful planet. His studies in Impact Investing at the Saiid Business School at the University of Oxford helped solidify his path towards raising over $1 billion through a hybrid of philanthropy and social investments to protect some of our world’s most fragile and important ecosystems.
Eric got a new lease on life when he married the love of his life, Jacquie, in 2019. It was a fairytale romance for all to behold. While always finding time to support causes near to their hearts, they spent the last 5 years traveling, long-distance hiking, skiing, biking and exploring Montana and abroad. They had a shared passion for Eric’s beloved Crosscut Mountain Sports Center.
Eric’s vision and passion brought Crosscut Mountain Sports Center to life. As the board chairman, he continued to drive the vision and chart a thoughtful course for Crosscut to grow, impact, and serve our growing community in the coming years. Eric saw Crosscut as his legacy project; while he never sought or wanted recognition, he told those closest to him that seeing this vision through to completion would be his proudest achievement.
Eric was a Maverick – confident, decisive, intense, with a strong sense of urgency. He believed in the ‘Art of the Possible’ and was venturesome, animated, optimistic, and was always open to the next audacious adventure. When Eric dreamed it was always big and for the greater good, but he also never let a policy manual stand in the way of what he believed needed to be done. He lived with passion, an easy smile and a genuine interest to connect deeply with those he met. One of his favorite quotes was:
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!” (Credit: Hunter S. Thompson)
Eric is preceded in death by his brother Alan and father Richard. He is survived by his beloved wife Jacquie, his daughter Sabine (20) and son, Alex (18) and his 2 “bonus kids” Hayden Persons(24) and Weston Persons (23). He is also survived by his mother Maria, his uncle Robert and his niece, Montana.
A memorial service is being planned for later in the year. In lieu of flowers please consider donating to the LOVE Crosscut Fund. We know that is what Eric would have wanted. Together we can all help to preserve the legacy project he launched for our community.