Remembering Patrick Hemingway: A Legacy of Literature and Nature's Advocate

On September 9, 2025, the literary and naturalist communities lost a distinguished member, Patrick Hemingway, who passed away peacefully in his home in Bozeman, Montana, at the venerable age of 97. Patrick was not only known as the last living son of the famous Nobel laureate Ernest Hemingway but also as a writer and a passionate advocate for wildlife conservation. His life embodied the adventurous spirit and literary prowess of his father while carving a unique path devoted to environmental issues and the preservation of literary heritage.

Born on June 28, 1928, in Kansas City, Missouri, Patrick spent his formative years in diverse locales, including Cuba and Key West, Florida. Frequent journeys aboard his father's beloved boat, Pilar, for fishing and hunting expeditions shaped his early life, including experiences during World War II that saw him participate in unorthodox hunts of German submarines in the Caribbean. After completing his studies at Stanford University and graduating from Harvard University in 1950 with a degree in history and literature, Patrick dedicated his career to environmental education and wildlife conservation.

His professional journey began in Tanzania, where he played a pivotal role in training the first African wildlife wardens at the College of African Wildlife Management. In his capacity as a forestry officer for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, he tirelessly worked on projects that underscored the importance of wildlife conservation. After losing his mother, Pauline Pfeiffer, in 1951, he settled in Tanzania, where he cultivated a passion for agriculture alongside his first wife, Henrietta Broyles.

Patrick gained international acclaim for his guiding work on safaris across East Africa, where he shared his expertise with fellow adventurers. Beyond his career as a naturalist, Patrick dedicated much of his later life to preserving the literary legacy of his father. From the early 1970s, he editorialized and completed several of Ernest Hemingway's posthumous publications. One of his notable contributions was the completion of the significant manuscript True at Dawn, now housed in the archives of the John F. Kennedy Library. Patrick also authored the historical and literary analysis of numerous works encapsulated in the Hemingway Library series.

In 2022, he collaborated with his nephews, Brendan and Stephen Hemingway Adams, to publish Dear Papa: The Letters of Patrick and Ernest Hemingway, compiling decades of correspondence with his father. His commitment to honoring his father's literary contributions did not go unnoticed, as Angela Hemingway Charles, founder and president of Hemingway Ltd., remarked that “Patrick's life was a testament to the values he inherited from his father” — a deep respect for literature, nature, and adventure.

In 2023, Patrick and his second wife, Carol, established the Patrick and Carol T. Hemingway Scholar-in-Residence program at the John F. Kennedy Library to support research and discussions on literature and nature conservation. His involvement extended to being a featured guest at various forums and conferences.

Patrick's legacy continues through his daughter, Edwina Hemingway, four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and a constellation of nephews and nieces, whose lives he touched with wisdom and adventure. Plans for public commemorations of his life will be announced in due course, ensuring that Patrick Hemingway's remarkable contributions to literature and environmental conservation will not be forgotten.

For press inquiries or interviews regarding Patrick’s life or legacy, please contact Bettina L. Klinger, the official spokesperson for the Hemingway family, at [email protected] or call 917-930-8654.

Tributes for Patrick Hemingway: A testament to a life well-lived, an adventurer, a literary guardian—his departure marks the end of an extraordinary chapter in the Hemingway legacy.

Patrick Hemingway Circa 1970