A Life Lived — Sean Egan

The death of Professor Sean Egan during his attempt to reach the top of Mount Everest was greeted with sadness and shock by the University community. In paying tribute to Egan, colleagues expressed their admiration for his passion and dedication.

Blaine Hoshizaki

Egan, who collapsed from an apparent heart attack after suffering respiratory problems, was a faculty member of the School of Human Kinetics. “He inspired students and that’s going to be a huge loss,” said the School’s director Blaine Hoshizaki.

“He was unique in that he combined the study of sports psychology with meeting large physical challenges. He inspired us to meet our daily challenges in terms of living with physical activity, fitness and health,” said Hoshizaki. “I don’t believe Sean looked at these challenges in terms of their limits. He looked at them in terms of success. This is how he viewed life and his trip to Mount Everest.”

As a student at the University of Calgary, Hoshizaki had some mountain climbing experience, albeit at much lower heights than Everest. “I must admit when [Egan] talked about climbing Everest, I felt like joining him. He was just that inspiring.”

Frank Reardon

Professor Frank Reardon, a close personal friend and colleague of Egan for 35 years, described him as a “giant” who taught by example.

“He was a person very much interested in what drives people to confront physical challenges. He did hundred-mile walks; he cycled from Oregon to Ottawa. He did these things more as a test of himself.”

“He wasn’t a tourist in this world,” Reardon said. “He lived his ideals.”

Egan had two children, Anna and Seamas, both students at the University. At press time, arrangements for a University memorial service had not been finalized. There are some informal discussions about setting up a scholarship fund, but that will depend on the family’s wishes, Hoshizaki said.