Patrick Hemingway

Patrick Hemingway, 97, renowned writer, wildlife conservationist and second son of the legendary literary icon Ernest Hemingway, died on Tuesday evening peacefully at his home in Bozeman, Montana. Like his late father, he was a citizen of the world and led a life as such.

His grandson Patrick Hemingway Adams made this announcement: “My grandfather was the real thing: a larger than life paradox from the old world; a consummate dreamer saddled with a scientific brain. He spoke half a dozen languages and solved complicated mathematical problems for fun, but his heart truly belonged to the written and visual arts.”

Patrick Hemingway was born in Kansas City, Missouri on June 28, 1928 and spent his youth in both Cuba and Key West, Florida adventuring with his father on his fishing boat, Pilar, joining him on spontaneous hunts for German submarines along the Caribbean during World War II.

Hemingway attended both Stanford University and Harvard with the latter as his alma mater in 1950 where he received a BA in History and Literature. He began his career dedicated to wildlife instruction at the College of African Wildlife Management in Tanzania where he trained the first African rangers for the newly formed country and on behalf of the United Nations as a forestry officer at the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).

After the passing of his mother, Pauline Pfeiffer, in 1951 at the age of 23, he channeled his previous studies and passion for agriculture on his 2,300 acre farm in Tanzania where he had relocated with his first wife, Henrietta Broyles. Patrick gained global recognition for his safaris and expeditions. He served as a guide, expert, and honorary game warden in British East Africa. After his time there, Hemingway relocated to Bozeman, Montana where he resided until the time of his passing.

Patrick’s work managing his father's legacy began in the early 1970s and continued until his passing. His contributions include edits and the completion of his late father’s notable book, True at First Light, where the manuscript is recorded in the John F. Kennedy Library Hemingway Archives. He provided historical & literary insight into the Hemingway Library series including Green Hills of Africa, Hemingway on Hunting, Hemingway on War, A Moveable Feast, The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms. In 2022, Patrick alongside his nephews Brendan Hemingway and Stephen Hemingway Adams compiled a lifelong series of letters between he and his father, released as Dear Papa: The Letters of Patrick and Ernest Hemingway.

Angela Hemingway Charles, Founder and President of the Board of Directors for Hemingway Ltd., honored her brother-in-law: “Patrick’s life was a testament to the values he inherited from his father and made his own: integrity, adventure, and a deep respect for the natural and literary worlds. His passing marks the close of an extraordinary chapter in the Hemingway family, and his legacy will endure through the work he championed and the lives he touched.”

In 2023, Patrick and his second wife established the Patrick and Carol T. Hemingway Scholar-In-Residence at the John F. Kennedy Library. In addition, he was featured in the Library Forum in 2006, where he engaged in a dialogue about his life, the legacy of his famous father, and his contributions to wildlife conservation in Africa.

He’s survived by his daughter, Edwina Hemingway, four grandchildren, seven great grandchildren and multiple nieces and nephews.

A private funeral will be held with plans for a public celebration of life to be announced at a later date.