Jim Whitaker, a trailblazing American mountaineer and the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1963, has passed away at 97. His family shared that he died peacefully at his home in Port Townsend, Washington.
Whitaker’s historic climb took place a decade after the iconic ascent by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.
His adventurous spirit quickly turned him into a celebrity, leading to numerous public appearances and engagements for various causes.
He mingled with notable personalities, including a lasting friendship with the Kennedy family.
Whitaker famously guided Robert F. Kennedy up a 14,000-foot Canadian peak, which was named Mount Kennedy in honor of the senator after his tragic death.
“Bobby Kennedy was one of the grittiest little guys I’ve ever seen,” said a reflective Whitaker in 2015. “What’s important is not how big it is, but how well it’s hurt.”
He also took on a significant role during the Kennedy campaign as the state chairman, demonstrating his political savvy as if scaling a complex mountain.
Jim’s twin brother, Lou Whitaker, also an esteemed mountaineer and founder of Rainier Mountaineering, sadly passed away in March 2024 at 95.
Together, they made a formidable mark on the mountaineering world.
One of Jim’s most cherished achievements was leading a group of 10 disabled climbers to the summit of Mount Rainier in 1981, a personal triumph he compared to climbing Everest.
Reflecting his mix of courage and humor, he once remarked in 1980, “I want to die in my sleep with the television on.”
Fast forward 27 years, he expressed resistance to the idea of mandatory electronic locators for climbers, believing that “if you remove all risk from life, you lose a lot.”
Whitaker significantly influenced the outdoor community.
As the first full-time employee and later CEO of REI, he played a vital role in transforming the co-op into a major presence in outdoor gear sales.
