Lake Forest mountaineer battling cancer dies climbing fifth-tallest mountain on Earth

Alexander Pancoe, an alpinist and philanthropist battling cancer, died doing what he loved, his wife Nina Laski Pancoe said.

He had climbed the tallest mountains of all seven continents, cross-country skied the North and South Poles and reached the summit of Mt. Everest. He did it all to raise money for Lurie Children’s Hospital, the hospital that saved his life several years before.

“He would tell people: ‘No matter what obstacle is thrown in front of you, no matter what you’re battling, just never stop pursuing your dreams, never give up, never think it’s the end, just keep trying,’” Laski Pancoe said. “Despite being diagnosed with cancer, he was never gonna give up.”

Pancoe, a 39-year-old financial adviser who worked in Chicago and lived in Lake Forest, suffered from cardiac arrest while attempting to climb Mount Makalu in Nepal on Sunday. He had been resting for the night after completing a routine acclimation hike on the mountain when Pancoe woke up feeling like he was having a panic attack, Laski Pancoe said. In an acclimation hike, the climber attempts a partial hike to get used to the altitude.

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