1919-2008
Sir Edmund Hillary died in January at the age of 88. The New Zealand adventurer, climber and explorer won instant worldwide acclaim in 1953 by becoming the first -- along with his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay-- to summit Mount Everest.
I can’t pretend to have known him but I did meet him about a year ago.
It was at a luncheon at Lisa Choegyal’s home perched high above Nepal’s
capital on the northern rim of the Kathmandu Valley. It was a casual
affair. Sir Edmund was approachable and clearly interested in meeting
new people when he wasn’t preoccupied with Lisa’s new puppy, which
scrambled over the back of the sofa and repeatedly pounced—to the
delight of Sir Edmund—on the mountaineer’s lap. The pleasure he derived
from the puppy’s abuse was boyish and infectious. 
Dunham, Pratima Rana Pande, Sir Hillary, Australian Ambassador Graeme Lade
Sir Hillary, Dunham, UNDP director Matthew Kahane
Sir Hillary discussing Buddha's Warriors
We
spoke for a while about my last book and then the discussion moved
elsewhere. The conversation was never about him: He may have scaled
29,035 feet, but unlike so many contemporary climbers, he was grounded
in modesty; that was the salient impression I took away with me.
Sir
Edmund set the gold standard for foreigners who befriend Nepalis. The
news of his death sent shockwaves throughout the country, particularly
among the Sherpa communities nestled within the Mount Everest region.
He had founded the Himalayan Trust Nepal, which established 27 schools
and two hospitals within the Solukhumbu district. Almost
single-handedly, he transformed the locals’ quality of life -- from
impoverishment and illiteracy, to better education, health and job
opportunities -- better than in most other areas of Nepal. 
Sherpa woman mourning Sir Hillary's passing
He
spoke sparingly but listened to all. He never expected anything in
return. Sir Edmund accomplished that most rare of things: He
transformed personal fame into something useful and meaningful for
those who were less fortunate. That is his real legacy. An entire
nation regarded him as their companion. And that was his greatest
achievement.
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