Jeanie, the black bear who captured the hearts of both Whistler locals and international tourists, was more than a beloved icon.

She was more than a beautiful but tolerant model for thousands of keen photographers, more than a protective and loving mother bear and more than a 250-pound "problem." True, she has been labelled all of the above, but the legacy she leaves will be more all-encompassing.

Jeanie will be remembered for what she taught us.

Jeanie was an ambassador for all bears. In her willingness to accept the presence of people, she allowed us a glimpse into her world. She gave us a deeper understanding of bears, their needs, their individuality, their strengths, weaknesses, how they interact with each other and how they adapt to a changing environment.

She showed us that bears have unique emotions, quirks and personalities, and that perhaps we are more similar to bears than we thought.

"I remember the first time I encountered Jeanie," said Sylvia Dolson, executive director of the Get Bear Smart Society. "My husband and I were out hiking. It was on the ski run right below the Olympic chair. I remember her coming up over the crest of a hill, walking casually in our direction. We had little experience with bears at this point. I was a city girl. It was pretty unnerving."

It turns out Jeanie was doing what would best serve her for life - ignoring the people around her, going about her day and searching for food.

"As I got to know her, I learned that she was an incredibly tolerant bear," said Dolson. "She adapted a feeding strategy to ignore humans. For the most part, that strategy served her well."

Jeanie's home range changed drastically during her two decades on Earth. A bike park was built where she grazed for berries. A towering gondola was erected over her denning habitat. Cement trucks, construction vehicles, dump trucks and other heavy equipment roared beside the meadows where she and her cubs played.

She learned to put up with these activities so she could continue doing what was necessary to live and raise her cubs. She also tolerated curious onlookers who had never seen a bear in the wild, photographers who started a Facebook page for her and shared details of her life with people who had never visited Whistler, biologists who learned a little more about bear habits and habitat and children who decided that from then on, bears were their very favourite animals.

Jeanie had seven litters, producing 14 cubs. A fiercely protective mother, she defended her cubs against coyotes and other bears. She was also loving and playful.

"Those cubs used her for their personal 'jungle-gym,'" said Dolson. "They'd climb all over her. Jump on her back, nip her, roll and tumble around at her feet. There were up to three of them at a time. She was so patient and gentle with them."

However, as Jeanie got older, her status in the bear hierarchy weakened. She began losing some of her physical strength, speed and agility, her pre-hibernation weight appeared low, and, with this year's poor berry crop, she was forced from the lucrative feeding areas by other bears.

As a last resort, Jeanie came into town to gain access to the food she required.

The consequences were lethal.

Jeanie's one surviving cub is now at a rehabilitation facility in Langley.

Get Bear Smart is establishing Jeanie's Memorial Fund. Donations are being accepted at www.bearsmart.com/donate. Funds will be used to help bears, including Jeanie's daughter, and to develop Bear Smart strategies to reduce human-bear conflicts.