Tribute to Herbal Academy’s Founder and Director, Marlene Adelmann

To Our Herbal Academy Community:  

It is with very heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of our Founder and Director, Marlene Adelmann, at age 67. For the last year and a half, she bravely battled a rare form of cancer with a strength so characteristic of the woman she was.   

Marlene was touched and uplifted by this community’s outpouring of love and support following the news of her cancer diagnosis. To our entire herbal community, we thank you for your kind words and gestures. 

Marlene poured her heart and soul into founding and directing Herbal Academy and she created something truly beautiful and meaningful – something we all have the privilege to take part in as teachers, contributors, and students. Through the school and online herbal classes, Marlene has brought the wild and wonderful world of herbalism to 100,000 students across the globe. Hers was the spark of inspiration that gathered us in community together with a shared love of plants and herbalism. 

Marlene spent several years studying herbalism and learning under some of the most revered, modern herbalists. She was a visionary and never stopped dreaming up ideas and the next steps for the school. Her wheels were always churning as she would say! She had plans to beat cancer and continue to put her heart and soul into contributing to Herbal Academy’s mission. While our hearts break with her loss, let us also celebrate this woman who dreamed big, worked hard, loved fiercely, and brought so much beauty and kindness into the world.  

Our hearts go out to Marlene’s big and loving family, including her devoted husband, David, her three children, Crystalle, Emily, and Grant, their partners, Scott, Micky, and Thavixai, her stepchildren and their partners, Rebecca and Ethan, Luke and Daphne, and 10 grandchildren, who were her greatest joy, Louise, Sonny, Felix, Lila, Rosie, Lyon, Blyth, Lewis, Henry, and George. 

We honor our dearest Marlene and celebrate her life and her legacy.