Newspaper Article 2013 – Service honours Everest mountaineer

Service honours Everest mountaineer

The service of thanksgiving for the life of Dr Wallace George Lowe was held yesterday at St Matthew’s Anglican Church in Hastings. George Lowe was part of the team that made the first successful ascent of Mount Everest – and was the last surviving member when he died in March this year. Photographer Warren Buckland attended the service.

Crowds Turn Out for Lowe

Hundreds gathered to pay their respects to famed Hastings mountaineer George Lowe at a memorial service to remember a kind man and brilliant raconteur.

St Mathew’s Church in Hastings was filled to capacity with friends, family, former students, pupils from Hastings schools and two sherpa couples who represented a community to which George gave so much in his lifetime. After a long illness, the 89-year-old passed away in Derbyshire on March 20, but his feats of crossing the Antarctic and being among those to make the first successful ascent of Mount Everest are etched in history.

He was the first person to meet Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay after their climb to the summit of Everest, where Hillary greeted him with the famous line: “Well, George, we knocked the bastard off”.

George’s widow Mary, brother Reuben, granddaughter Lauren Chadlowe and godson (Sir Edmund Hillary’s son) Peter Hillary all spoke. A captivated crowd heard of Mr Lowe’s early years attending Hastings West School (now Raureka), before moving to Hastings High School.

As a father he was kind and caring, always smiling and searching for an adventure. As a grandfather he was a “hero”, not because of his fame, but for what he had achieved and the kind of man he was – inspiring, selfless and loving. Mr Lowe’s undeniable skill for spinning a yarn rubbed off on godson Peter Hillary, who spoke of his ability to “expand the realms of possibility”.

“Most of us will never climb Mount Everest or land on the moon, but we know we can. The truth is we are all liberated by the successes of others because they show it can be done.”

Mary Lowe rounded out the reflections, talking about her husband’s retirement years, split between home, holidaying and working to continue Sir Edmund’s work in the Himalayas.

“I do not grieve that George is gone, I rejoice that he was ever here,” she finished.

Photo captions –

BEAUTIFUL WORDS: George Lowe’s widow Mary spoke about her husband’s many life achievements at St Matthew’s Church in Hastings.

KIND WORDS: Peter Hillary speaks at the service, his father famously said to Dr Lowe “Well, George, we knocked the bastard off”’ after climbing Mt Everest.

HONOURED: Crowds came to pay their respects to George Lowe who died March 21.

HARMONY: St Joseph’s Maori Girls’ College Choir.

CHOIR: Hastings Boys’ High choir sings at the service of the famous mountaineer.