Sir Edmund Hillary 1919-2008 - 11/01/2008Mayor Michael Laws today said that the death of Sir Edmund Hillary will be marked in the city with all official flags flying at half-mast for today and tomorrow, and also on the day of the funeral.
"Wanganui people will remember Sir Ed as not simply a world famous mountaineer but an active humanitarian. He was a revered figure of both outstanding accomplishment and outright humility."
Mayor Laws said that although Sir Edmund's passing was not unexpected – he had been ill for some months – "it is still a poignant moment. In a world that overuses the word 'legend', Sir Edmund truly was. He was not only an iconic figure, but a person who contributed much to New Zealand's sense of independence and nationhood".
"If anything, his accomplishments in lifting the living standards of the Nepalese people rate higher on the human scale than scaling Mt Everest. It is unlikely that any Kiwi has ever had such a positive effect upon both our nation and another." |
