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Harvard University University of Texas

VICTOR EMANUEL Obituary

EMANUEL--Victor Lloyd. Victor Lloyd Emanuel of Austin, Texas, 84, passed away peacefully on March 11, 2025. Born on October 24, 1940 and raised in Houston, he quickly developed his lifelong, intense, intimate bond with nature. Victor earned his BS in zoology from University of Texas and MS in government from Harvard University. After a brief foray into Houston school board politics, Victor discovered his true calling, founding Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (VENT) in 1976, when ecotourism was largely unknown. His company became one of the most successful, influential, and respected of such companies in the world, a testament to Victor's business acumen, birding skills, and, above all, his passion for sharing his love of nature with others. That passion was infectious; one could not spend time around Victor without developing a deep enthusiasm for the natural world. Equally intense was his love for people, nurturing countless friendships, whether philosophers, physicists, adventurers, politicians, or birders, regarding them as family with fierce loyalty and unfailing generosity. Profoundly influenced by mentors, he knew the transformational power of mentorship, leading him to create a summer camp program for young birders in 1986, one of the first of its kind, that has mentored numerous, prominent leaders in ornithology and conservation. His zeal for nature, infectious enthusiasm, and magnetic personality made Victor an outsized voice for conservation. His numerous accolades included the Roger Tory Peterson Award from the American Birding Association, the prestigious Arthur A. Allen Award from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and the inaugural Victor Emanuel Conservation Award, created by Travis County Audubon to honor local leaders in conservation. He will be dearly missed by all those who were fortunate to share moments with this remarkable man. Donations can be directed to naturescholarships.org.

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Published by New York Times on Mar. 16, 2025.

Memories and Condolences
for VICTOR EMANUEL

23 Entries

March 31, 2025

May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.

Heidi DeVos

March 28, 2025

I met Victor in 2001, on a VENT tour celebrating the publication of the Ridgely and Greenfield guide to the birds of Ecuador. Our large tour group split in two, with Victor and Peter English leading my half into the Amazon. I have quite a few vivid memories of that trip, one being of Victor cheering on our bus driver and the many pushers after our vehicle got stuck in mud. The phrase `infectious enthusiasm´ in this obituary fits Victor like a glove. I´m glad I was fortunate enough to have gone birding with him.

Michelle Gatto

March 26, 2025

My condolences to the Family, Friends and all who loved Victor.
What a kind, gentle, enthusiastic soul Victor was. I met Victor at a going away party for Peter English.
Before I knew it:
I was in love with Mr. English, and Victor was not only supportive of our love.
But introduced me to the world of the Ecuadorian Jungle.
Victor helped me get a work Visa to live &work in S. America.
My life has been forever changed in tbd most positive ways as a result of that experience.
Victor wax also so kind and caring after my son Sam was killed.
To this day;
Nature saves me.
Thank you Victor...

Bonnie Paton Moon

March 22, 2025

in 2012, Victor left the following voicemail on my answering machine: "I want to talk about the project you wrote me about - the property that your parents had, which I had some wonderful times visiting. I want to talk about how we can proceed with purchasing this property to preserve it the way I know your parents and you want it preserved." That property was Paton's Birder Haven in Patagonia, Arizona. Victor played a key role in saving the legacy of this world-renowned birding property now known, in perpetuity, as Tucson Audubon's Paton Center for Hummingbirds. Victor Emanuel was a conservation hero. The Paton family along with thousands of birders will be forever grateful to Victor. Thank you Victor Emanuel!

Simon Lucarelli-Senft

March 19, 2025

I had the opportunity to speak with Victor during a VENT Zoom webinar during Covid, and he was a charming man. "One More Warbler" was influential in my development of birding as a hobby throughout high school. He will be greatly missed by the birding world as a whole, and in the listing community even more so.

Politarius

March 18, 2025

I have been organizing Victor Emanuel Nature Tour (Vent) in Indonesia since 2008 untill today. Many people in birding locations get the job from its tours. On behalf of everybody involved on Vents tours to Indonesia, I send my deep condolence for the passing pf Victor Emanuel.

Pam Phipps

March 18, 2025

I was honored to meet Victor Emanuel at a pre-trip reception in Seattle hosted by BirdNote. The resulting 2016 VENT/Panama Canopy trip proved to be my most memorable birding experience ever! Thanks to Victor and condolences to his family and the VENT team!!

Harley Klein

March 18, 2025

My deceased wife Karyl and I went on a number of birding tours with VENT going back to the 1980s. Our favorite was to the Galapagos. It also provided one of my favorite memories of Victor. He swam with the Galapagos penguin and came out of the water "childlike" glee and excitement that was wonderful to see.

Harley Klein

Planted Trees

Lisa Andrews Ard

March 18, 2025

I remember Victor as a kind and gentle person who was passionate about his work and his company. I know he will be missed by his employees, family, and friends; I pray for their comfort.

Kenneth Berlin

Planted Trees

Debbie Hilaire

March 18, 2025

It is with great sadness that I sit reading this email, learning of the passing of such a great man. A staunch supporter of birds, nature and all things birdy. I had the privilege of being on a tour with Victor to King Ranch many, many years ago. This was one of my first ever birding trips out of my home country of Canada, as a young female birder, and I felt so welcomed. I loved his childlike enthusiasm and his wonderful ability to describe and educate us all on the the birds we were seeing. All those nuggets of wisdom that he imparted on me stayed with me throughout my birding career. I am forever grateful to have met this incomparable man. He will be terribly missed.

P.S. After my tour I sent him a letter thanking him for making my trip so memorable. He saved my letter and many years later as his autobiography came out I received a note from him in the mail thanking me once again for writing such a " moving letter" , his words not mine. I was simply floored.

You are up with the birds Victor, where you belong.
Cheers, Debbie Hilaire
London, Ontario, Canada

Warren Jones

March 17, 2025

Deepest Sympathy for the passing of Victor Emanuel.
I have wonderful memories from participating in a large number of VENT trips to many locations all over the world.

Peter H Van Demark

March 17, 2025

If everyone were as kind and generous as Victor, what a beautiful world this would be.

(Picture taken on 2020-03-08 on the island of Dominica at the Syndicate Estate)

Juliette Muscat

March 17, 2025

I began traveling with VENT in1987. Though I only took 1 or 2 trips a year, Victor always remembered me, invited me to stay in his beach house, and we shared opinions and ideas. Not only did I feel friendship with Victor, I had similar attachments to several of his superb group of leaders. Memories of my VENT experiences, both personal and avian, will stay with me forever.

Paula Erickson

March 17, 2025

Victor was a fun loving adventurer and kind person. We were fortunate to have Victor on the Peru Amazon trip February 2024. He was the life of the party! Every night on the boat he was the first on the dance floor, encouraging everyone to join the celebration. Thank you Victor, your legacy lives on.

Marc Grossberg

March 17, 2025

Victor was a gentle soul with ferocious passions. A friend since junior high school it was with admiration and appreciation that our acquaintance continued. And to think he created an industry with his love of birding is awesome.

Vernon Lix

March 17, 2025

I shall never forget the first time I met Victor at my first Galveston Christmas Bird Count, I think sometime in the 1980's. For lunch I unwrapped my peanut butter and jelly sandwich while at the picnic table just to my left Victor pulled delicacy after delicacy from his basket. The pate he shared with us all was the most delicious I have tasted. His generosity and companionship will be greatly missed.

Doug and Sherry Caves

March 17, 2025

It was our privilege to share birding and social time with Victor on many trips. We always appreciated the attention he provided to those who shared his journeys.

I recall one outing in Portugal where we were scoping a small bird at a great distance. A cold wind shook the scope and penetrated our windbreakers. Retreating back into the bus seemed attractive, but Victor enthusiastically explained to each of us how to triangulate on sticks and rocks so we could make out the bird. His passion was contagious.

He assembled a wonderful team at VENT and we look forward to honoring his legacy with more birding.

Michael Williams

March 17, 2025

A wonderful human. I am grateful to have been his cousin and to have spent wonderful moments with him over meals and in nature over the years. We both love sweets, and one of my fondest recent memories was good conversation and sharing a cherry pie with him at his beloved Warbler's Roost in Bolivar. I will miss him deeply.

Donna L. Yee

Planted Trees

Donna Yee

March 17, 2025

* He was as at ease encouraging a "Big Year" lister as a neophyte struggling to get their "eye on a bird". He shared his wonder and it was infectious. He shared his compassion honed over years of experience seeing natural environments change, and seeing the impacts of mankind. He understood how humans can learn to coexist, as do prey and hunter among birds. He awakened a fascination and love for natural science, a subject given little attention in urban public education.
* As an "older" ambassador, he was attuned and interested in how other generations were seeing the world. I will best remember him sitting in a chair in a Rajasthan palace and dancing among a deluge of fresh marigolds in rural India and approaching Roller Pigeons on a beach to be sure we saw their feathers as they took flight.
* If we don´t take the journeys he inspired in us, who will do that for others?

Marti Ikehara

March 17, 2025

Thanks to Victor, in the past 22 years since I discovered his company VENT, I've visited many places in the world in the company of enthusiastic guides who pointed out birds and all manner of other animals, plants, and natural phenomena.

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