<P> Two Antarctic features are named after Hillary . The Hillary Coast is a section of coastline south of Ross Island and north of the Shackleton Coast . It is formally recognised by New Zealand, the United States of America and Russia . The Hillary Canyon, an undersea feature in the Ross Sea appears on the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans, which is published by the International Hydrographic Organization . </P> <P> Hillary married Louise Mary Rose on 3 September 1953, soon after the ascent of Everest . A shy man, he relied on his future mother - in - law to propose on his behalf . They had three children: Peter (born 1954), Sarah (born 1955) and Belinda (1959--1975). In 1975 while en route to join Hillary in the village of Phaphlu, where he was helping to build a hospital, Louise and Belinda were killed in a plane crash near Kathmandu airport shortly after take - off . In 1989 he married June Mulgrew, the widow of his close friend Peter Mulgrew, who died having replaced Hillary as speaker on Air New Zealand Flight 901, a sightseeing flight to the Antarctic which crashed into Mount Erebus in 1979 . His son Peter Hillary has also become a climber, summiting Everest in 1990 . In May 2002 Peter climbed Everest as part of a 50th anniversary celebration; Jamling Tenzing Norgay (son of Tenzing; Tenzing himself had died in 1986) was also part of the expedition . Hillary is also survived by six grandchildren . </P> <P> He spent most of his life (when not away on expeditions) living in a property on Remuera Road in Auckland City, where he enjoyed reading adventure and science fiction novels in his retirement . </P> <P> Hillary also built a bach at Whites Beach, one of Auckland's west coast beaches in the former Waitakere City, between Anawhata and North Piha . Bob Harvey, mayor of Waitakere, and friend of Hillary from the early 1970s, said that "the West Coast was Sir Ed's second home . Anawhata was his favourite beach; a place he called the most beautiful on the planet ." Harvey said that the bach was Hillary's place of solace, where he would go when the media attention became too much--including after his return from conquering Everest . "Building the cottage at Whites Beach--he told me--was one of his greatest pleasures ." Aside from the bach, Hillary also co-owned a large piece of land in Karekare Valley in the 1970s with fellow climber Mike Gill . </P>

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