Tompkins, who grew up in Millbrook, New York, is survived by his wife, Kristine, and his two children, Summer Walker and Quincey Imhoff. Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Tompkins, who co-founded North Face and Esprit, died in the ecological empyrean of Patagonia that he had sought to protect after cashing out of his life in America and moving to South America. It was there that Tompkins and Chouinard set out on their final paddle together. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Douglas Tompkins died at the age of 72, on the 8th of December: billionaire, ecologist and co-founder of The North Face, renowned outdoor apparel brand. In 1991 he bought the Reihu farm, a semi-abandoned farm at the end of the Reihu Fjord, planning to set aside 42,000 acres (17,000ha) of this unique forest from possible exploitation. Because we know prioritizing durability results in consuming less energy, wasting less water and creating less trash. [39][40] He was 72 years old and survived by his second wife, Kristine (McDivitt), two daughters, brother and mother.[13][41]. He said that Mr. Tompkins had spent considerable amount of time in waters under 4 degrees Celsius, or under 40 degrees Fahrenheit. 6. He will be missed., A photo posted by The North Face (@thenorthface) on Dec 8, 2015 at 5:11pm PST. He founded the North Face Inc, co-founded Esprit and various environmental groups, including the Foundation for Deep Ecology and Tompkins Conservation.[3]. Tompkins bought more than 2 million acres of land and set about creating private parks that kept rainforests from development across Chile and Argentina before his death at 72 on Tuesday. We are the ones who keep putting obstacles in our own way by buying more land. Peter Hartmann, a local environmentalist and a longtime collaborator with Tompkins on conservation initiatives, watched the rescue from the edge of the lake. He was rescued but later died from severe hypothermia. The good he did in the world will not end.. The health service in the Aysn administrative region said Mr. Tompkins was boating with five others on General Carrera Lake when their kayaks capsized in heavy waves. "Then we got this side wind, so we had huge waves coming in on either side.". [1] Her father was a "betting commissioner" and worked in real estate. When The North Face founder Douglas Tompkins died after a kayaking accident in December, he left behind an unparalleled legacy: 2.2 million acres of protected wilderness. We are on the side of those who decide to live with passion and purpose, acting to make the world a better place. Directory of locations. In his senior year at Pomfret School in Connecticut, Tompkins was expelled for various minor infractions. His daughter, Quincey Tompkins Imhoff, of Healdsburg, remembered a time as a girl when her father landed a small plane on a remote beach in Baja California only to notice later that the tide was rolling in and covering the wheels. Rarely appearing outdoors without a collared shirt or a cashmere sweater, Tompkins seemed determined to prove that no specialty clothing was needed on an adventure. After purchasing large blocks of wilderness, they worked to create national parks, believing that this governmental designation serves as the best mode of guaranteeing long-term conservation. August 5, 2021. Douglas Tompkins started The North Face in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood in 1966. [1], She attended primary school at the Convent School of the Sacred Heart, Ojai Valley School, and Miss Burkes School. Doug and Kris were responsible for expanding a natural reserve covering 400 hectares of forest in Chile to almost 890,000 hectares divided between Chile and Patagonia. With Tompkins at the helm, Esprit ballooned in popularity, eventually reaching $1 billion in sales. They split their time between homes in Chile and Argentina, concentrating their conservation efforts in both countries. Im incredibly saddened by this, but he lived on the edge, said Tompkins Buell, who remained close to her ex-husband. When the storms finally cleared, they made the first ascent of the now-classic California Route, with Tompkins yelling repeatedly at Tejada-Flores, their designated cameraman, "Hey, Fellini, how about getting some footage?" He flew back about an hour later and dropped off a backpack with a sleeping bag, some snacks and a note that said, I cant land till low tide, write me messages in the sand that I can read from the air., We spent all day there thinking we were doomed, Tompkins Imhoff said. This article was amended on 15 December 20 15. [32], Tompkins' environmental work won him respect and accolades outside of South America: in 2012, the African Rainforest Conservancy awarded Tompkins and his wife its "New Species Award";[33] in 2007, the International Conservation Caucus Foundation awarded its "Good Steward" award to him and his wife, Kris;[34] in 2008, the American Alpine Club awarded him the David R. Brower Award, for his work preserving mountain regions; in 2009, Latin Trade named him the "Environmental Leader of the Year". Doug also had a visceral dislike for authority, writes Chouinard, and always relished breaking the rules.. But in December, the 72-year-old Tompkins and Chouinard, along with climber Rick Ridgeway and three others, were on a five-day, 50-mile kayak paddle in southern Chile when the group ran into what Chouinard calls a perfect trap. Tompkins appointed himself "image director", developing his own marketing approach: overseeing all aspects of the company's image, from store design to catalogue layout, while his wife served as design director. We are deeply saddened by the news of Doug Tompkins passing. In the 1990s Tompkins and his second wife, Kris McDivitt Tompkins bought and conserved more than 2million acres (810,000ha) of wilderness in Chile and Argentina, exceeding that of any other private individuals in the region, thus becoming among the largest private land-owners in the world. He will be missed. In 1989, the Japanese art publisher Robundo published Esprit, the Comprehensive Design Principle (.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#3a3;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}ISBN4947613203), which documented the all-encompassing design principles that Tompkins had created for the brand.[17]. At Beijing 2022 politics and superpower rivalry are dominating the headlines. A keen conservationist, he bought up huge swathes of land in southern . North Face co-founder and conservation luminary Doug Tompkins, 72, died yesterday in Coyhaique, Chile. "Conservation is not without its critics and opposition," he acknowledged in an interview just before he died. National Geographic photographer and film-maker Jimmy Chin said Tompkins was still on fire when he undertook an expedition for the 2010 film 180 Degrees South, which recreated the 1968 trip he and Chouinard made to Patagonia. In the course of his career as a conservationist, Tompkins, originally from Ohio, had preserved some 2.2m acres of land in Chile and Argentina with his wife, Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, former CEO of Patagonia. His conviction, said Chin, allowed him to take life one battle at a time. Text HELP for help. Mr. Tompkins, an experienced kayaker, and his fellow paddlers capsized after being hit by large waves in bad weather, according to reports from the Chilean army. He and his second wife, Kris Tompkins, whom he married in 1993, bought more than 2 million acres of wilderness in Chile and Argentina and devoted themselves to creating parks, protecting wildlife and supporting ecologically sustainable agriculture. Remembering The North Face Founder Douglas Tompkins. "The presidents of Argentina and Chile called," says Chouinard, "and said, Hey, let's get the rest of these parks done.' Anyone can read what you share. ALSO: The 2.1 Million Acres in South America Protected by Doug Tompkins. Web SpecialsSave on Gear for Your Next Trip, Remembering The North Face Founder Douglas Tompkins. Tompkins, however, had spent nearly two hours in the water by the time he was rescued. hey were on the fourth day of what was supposed to be an easy five-day paddle around the north side of Lake General Carrera, the vast turquoise-watered glacial lake which straddles the border of Argentina and. He already loved Chile and Argentina, from all his trips to Patagonia, and land there was cheap, so he and Kristine a former Patagonia CEO who Tompkins married in 1993 began acquiring immense swaths of it. Douglas Tompkins, a noted conservationist and the founder of the North Face and Esprit clothing brands, died on Tuesday after a kayaking accident in the Patagonia region of southern . [1] The Tompkins divorced in 1989. They were an eco power couple, said Conservacion Patagonicas Butler. or. An earlier version referred to Laurence Alvarez-Roos as the groups guide, rather than a group member. Ends 2.28, while supplies last. He was eventually pulled from the water, but died of hypothermia at Coyhaique Regional Hospital. For 20 years we have operated to catalyse social change, to awaken and feed a new state of ecological awareness, to inspire and promote new business and consumption models for people as well as companies. "Nobody believed he would really give the land back. So in 1964, at the age of 21 and with his first wife, Susie Tompkins Buell, he took out a bank loan to start The North Face as a mail-order catalog. The deep ecologists are purists. Fitz Roy in 1968. With a deep bond to Patagonia and Chile, Tompkins dedicated his life to nature and environmental conservation, inspired by the book Deep Ecology: Living as if Nature Mattered. Class of 1963. We know what to expect -- more confrontation, more outrage, more mistrust.. In February 2012, Tompkins Buell stopped supporting President Barack Obama, citing disappointment with his leadership on environmental issues including climate change. Areas of distinguished expertise: Asset Optimization algorithms. Please remove some items to proceed. In 1966, the first The North Face store was opened; the band The Grateful Dead played at the grand opening. But his work will have no end. Doug Tompkins millionaire philanthropist and co-founder of the clothing companies North Face and Esprit shared a two-person kayak with Rick Ridgeway, 66, a veteran mountain climber and environmentalist who made the first American ascent of K2. A lifelong outdoorsman, Mr. Tompkins made his fortune in retailing but later shunned the business world to pursue his passion for nature and conservationism. She, her sister and the other passengers were told to sit on the tail wing to give the plane traction and then jump off as the plane caught air. Doug Thompson. The second best result is Doug Thompson age 50s in Lakeland, FL in the Camphor neighborhood. A former U.S. Forest Service firefighter, he has traveled extensively and covered a wide variety of issues during his career, including the Beijing Olympics, Hurricane Katrina, illegal American tourism in Cuba and a 40-day cross country car trip commemorating the history of automobile travel in America. In addition to his wife and Ms. Walker, Mr. Tompkins is survived by his mother, Faith; his brother, John, and another daughter, Quincey Tompkins Imhoff. [23] Its goal was to strengthen protection and restore habitat and biodiversity in the Iber Wetlands in Corrientes Province, Argentina. But he lived the life while others sat behind a desk.. 1. 1:02. Susie Tompkins Buell (ne Russell; born 1943)[2] is an American entrepreneur, businesswoman and a donor to progressive causes. In 1997, CEO Jay Margolis banned Tompkins Buell and all members of her family from entering Esprit's headquarters. In 2006, Thompson won in a landslide, defeating Robert Fowler with 85% of the vote. 2023 Patagonia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. [21] Through creating public-access infrastructure, including trails, campgrounds, visitor centers, and a restaurant, Tompkins sought to promote wilderness experience, in hopes of inspiring a deeper environmental ethic in the park's many thousands of visitors. Buy used, trade in and fix your gear through Worn Wear. He met his first wife, Tompkins Buell, while hitchhiking. At the time Chouinard, who first met Tompkins climbing as a teenager, was a private in the Army and stationed nearby. Profile. Butler and other friends describe Tompkins as dogged in his determination and a perfectionist in all things he undertook. As a foreigner, he was at first regarded by many Chileans with suspicion. The kayak capsized and Tompkins fell into the icy water. Although the couples environmental activism won them many accolades and praise, they also encountered controversy and criticism. In the process of buying up land for what he hoped would be 12 national parks, he reforested denuded acres, cultivated sustainable farms, built visitor centers and established hiking trails. Aerial view of the estate "Rincon del Socorro" of US billionaire Douglas Tompkins, in Ibera, near Carlos Pellegrini in Corrientes Province, Argentina, on November 5, 2009. Tom Butler, editorial projects director for Conservacion Patagonica the land trust founded in 2000 by Tompkins and his second wife described the accident as a total shock to his family and friends. To have lost his life in a lake and have nature just sort of gobble him up is just shocking.. On December 8, 2015, Tompkins was kayaking with five others (including Patagonia, Inc. founder Yvon Chouinard) on General Carrera Lake in southern Chile when strong waves caused their kayaks to capsize. 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