‘Lucky Jim’
Jim Milledge’s long life was punctuated by many adventures, a clutch of successful careers and a quiet determination to make the most of any opportunity that came his way. He wasn’t born lucky but he soon learned to make his own luck. He revelled in his ‘Lucky Jim’ nickname and often advised others to, ‘seize the opportunity of a lifetime in the lifetime of the opportunity’. Sage words that inspired many.
That simple code served Jim well and won him many summits and successes. Successes that gave him a rich supply of anecdotes drawn from his academic career, his varied clinical career, his mountaineering career and from a long life of curiosity and interest in others. His many anecdotes, told with humour, modesty and wisdom, were one of Jim’s most endearing trademarks.
Jim’s passion for expeditions and for the science of mountain medicine won him a vast global following of friends. Friends that delighted in his wit, charisma, encyclopaedic knowledge and intricate recall of his experiences. Generations of those friends were inspired to follow in his footsteps and he never failed to mentor with kindness, enthusiasm and with effortless charm.
Those of us that were lucky to have known Jim will continue to seize the opportunity of a lifetime in the lifetime of the opportunity, just as Lucky Jim would have advised.
Farewell Jim and thank you for your generosity of spirit and for being such a good friend and mentor to so many.