George Lowe, the last surviving climber from the 1953 expedition team that made the first ascent of Mount Everest, has died at age 89.

George Wallace Lowe was born in New Zealand on 15 January 1924.  He died on Wednesday 20 March in Ripley, Derbyshire, following an illness.

His death has come just before the publication of his book on the landmark 1953 ascent of Everest, and a few weeks before the 60th anniversary of the historic summit success.

“I close my eyes and am proud of our happy time upon that mountain" George Lowe, 2013.

Lowe was one of two New Zealanders on the 1953 British expedition, the other being Edmund Hillary. Lowe helped establish the final camp 1,000 feet below the mountain's summit on May 28, 1953. The next day, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the top.

As Hillary descended the next day, he told Lowe: "Well, George, we knocked the bastard off."

Lowe's photographs were an important contribution to the film 'The Conquest of Everest' directed by the expedition's official cameraman Tom Stobart, which was nominated for an Oscar for best documentary feature in 1954.

Lowe went on become the official photographer in the Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1957-58, which made the first successful overland crossing of Antarctica via the South Pole.

Stephen Venables, the first Briton to climb Everest without supplementary oxygen said "How selflessly he worked to get his friend Hillary to the summit."

Speaking of working with Lowe to create his Everest memoirs, historian and family friend Dr Huw Lewis-Jones said: "I feel very fortunate to have been involved. George's wife Mary is pleased that we can honour him in this way and it makes it all the more important now that people can learn more about this fabulous man." 

The book, Letters from Everest, by George Lowe, will be released on 28 May 2013.

Link to obituaries in the Independent, Guardian, Telegraph, and the newspaper that broke the story about the first ascent in 1953 - The Times (subscription required).

Funeral arrangements

George’s funeral will be held in Derby at 10am on Monday 8 April at Markeaton Crematorium, Markeaton Lane, Derby DE22 4NH

All who knew him are very welcome to attend.

Directions
Markeaton Crematorium is located on the west side of Derby. Markeaton Lane is the first right turn about a quarter of a mile from the junction of the A52 Ashbourne Road and the A38 heading in the direction of Ashbourne. Travelling from Ashbourne along the A52, Markeaton Lane is about half a mile beyond the Mackworth Hotel. The turn is signposted to the crematorium.

A memorial service will be held in New Zealand later in the year, and George’s son Bruce will take George’s ashes to the top of Mt Elie de Beaumont in New Zealand’s Southern Alps. In January 1951, George made the first ascent of the peak’s Maximilian Ridge with Ed Cotter, Ed Hillary and Earl Riddiford.

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