In Memory of Jack Kendrick
Thank you for considering a gift in honor of Jack Kendrick - aka Mountain Man or Yukon Jack - who passed away at age 94 on May 12, 2022, after a brief battle with cancer.
As an avid outdoor enthusiast, Jack’s passion for The Mountaineers never wavered. He joined The Mountaineers when he was only 15 as a way of escaping from a tough childhood and made many of his lasting friendships through the organization. He often said that The Mountaineers saved his life.
JACK KENDRICK ON HIS FIRST RAINIER CLIMB WITH THE MOUNTAINEERS IN 1948
With The Mountaineers, Jack summited many of our State's most incredible peaks. He climbed Rainier three times with The Mountaineers and led his own expedition later. He climbed St. Helen’s three times, once even skiing down after summiting. He climbed Mount Baker twice and did ascents of Mt. Adams and Mt. Bachelor with his Mountaineers friends. He had the pleasure of climbing alongside Jim and Lou Whittaker and other Seattle climbing legends. Jack loved to tell the stories of several of his first ascents and when asked, “have you climbed that peak?” the answer was seemingly always “yes”.
Jack decided to stop summiting the mountains after the death of a dear friend in a rock climbing accident, but he turned his love of the outdoors toward other passions. He canoed the inland passage from Seattle to Ketchikan, twice! He was ever the ski bum, staying at the many skiing lodges provided by The Mountaineers and even working two winters at Sun Valley. He went on to serve in the Korean war for two years. At the end of his service, he used the GI Bill to earn a degree in Fisheries at the University of Washington and become a middle school science teacher in the Shoreline School District for 27 years.
JACK ON THE WONDERLAND TRAIL, AGE 66
Jack passed along his love of the outdoors to his students and to his children. From the late 1960s to the early 1970s, he organized thirteen student trips around the Bowron Lakes chain in British Columbia. Inspired by the books from his youth, he took his kids on many adventures, such as climbing the Chilkoot Pass and hiking segments of the Pacific Crest Trail. He even floated the Yukon River with his family - his wife, four kids, their poodle, and a malamute they found along the river - for 27 days!
Later in life, Jack floated the Yukon river again, the Colorado river (twice), as well as the Nahanni, Dean, Missouri, Teslin, Big Salmon, and many more. He was also an avid hiker who backpacked into his late eighties, exploring Nepal, Mexico, Canada, and the West Coast. He attended the Pacific Crest Trail kickoffs and hiked many segments of the trail but fell short of finishing the whole thing.
JACK HIKED 100 MILES OF THE PCT AT AGE 85 TO RAISE MONEY FOR OVARIAN CANCER RESEARCH
Jack’s thirst for adventure all started with The Mountaineers, and his family is forever grateful for the influence this amazing organization had on this adventurous man.
Jack's official obituary can be found here - friends are encouraged to leave a comment or memory for Jack’s family there.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to The Mountaineers in Jack Kendrick's name. A celebration of life will be held at Edmonds Waterfront Center 220 Railroad Ave, Edmonds, WA 98020 on August 21, 2022 | 10 am to 2 pm.