Sir Edmund Hillary before being one of the greatest adventurers of the 20th century was a beekeeper. The native of New Zealand devoted most his life to aiding the people of Nepal. He wasn’t arrogant as he took his fame in stride. Instead of being called Sir Edmund Hillary, he only preferred to be called Ed. While he is deemed one of the greatest adventurers, Hillary himself thought of himself as an ordinary person with ordinary abilities.
At 9 o’clock in the morning, Edmund Hillary died at Auckland Hospital according to New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark. While Hillary ailed in his later years, he continued to be active. There was no immediately answer to Hillary’s death.
Hillary remained a humble individual while his life was marked with grand achievements with a lot of adventure. This accomplishment was part of a climbing expedition from Britain to add luster to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II which was four days later. She would knight Hillary on the first act.
But, Hillary took more pride in setting up schools and health clinics in Nepal, the homeland of Tenzing Norgay, the mountain guide that stood arm in arm with.
“Adventuring can be for the ordinary person with ordinary qualities, such as I regard myself,” Hillary said in 1975.
He is the only honored member of Britain’s Order of the Garter that is non-political.
Hillary would raise funds to promote higher education for Sherpa families. He set up reforestation programs in Nepal. The man was also known as a strong conservationist. He demanded international mountaineers clean up all the trash they leave behind that litter the lower slopes of Mount Everest.
In 2006, Hillary entered a dispute and said that it was horrifying that climbers could leave a dying man after an expedition left climber David Sharp to die on the upper slopes.
“It was wrong if there was a man suffering altitude problems and was huddled under a rock, just lift your hat, say ‘good morning’ and pass on by,” Hillary said. He added: “Human life is far more important than just getting to the top of a mountain.”
To the answer of why climb? Hillary said: “I can’t give you any fresh answers to why a man climbs mountains. The majority still go just to climb them.”
Sir Edmund Hillary died at age 88.