Richard "Dick" Bass, the first man to climb all seven of the highest peaks on seven continents and the co-founder of Snowbird Ski Resort in Utah has died yesterday, July 26th, 2015, in Texas, aged 85.
Bass was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1929 and graduated from Yale University with a degree in geology in 1950 before seeing active service in the Korean War.
Having been one of the original investors in Vail Associates when the company was founded in the early 1960s (and later a majority share holder before selling his stock), Bass founded Snowbird in 1971 and remained owner until last year when he sold his majority share to the Cummings family which also owns Powdr Corporation which runs a number of other US resorts, although Snowbird is not counted within that group. Mr Bass had remained chairman of the Snowbird board and said at the time,
"'This partnership will enable Snowbird to achieve more rapid growth and even greater benefits for our guests in keeping with our founding perspective and philosophy of providing a year-round destination mountain resort for the enhancement of body, mind, and spirit, with our ever present emphasis on environmental protection and sensitivity."
Bass became the first person to achieve the Seven Summits on April 30, 1985 and at the time, aged 55, he was also the oldest person to have climbed Mt. Everest.
Bass was living in Texas having found it more difficult to stay at altitude during his later years. Funeral services will be Friday on July 31st at 4pm at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Dallas, Texas.