jim whittaker

April 8, 2026 at 11:31 amUpdated April 8, 2026 at 2:38 pmListen to article April 8, 2026 at 11:31 amUpdated April 8, 2026 at 2:38 pm ByGregory ScruggsSeattle Times outdoors reporterJim Whittaker, a Seattle-born and -raised mountaineer who achieved legendary status when he became the first American to summit the world’s tallest peak in 1963, died Tuesday in Port Townsend at the age of 97.Cascadia Daily Newsreported Whittaker’s death in an obituary published Wednesday morning.Whittaker reached the