Clifton Maloney
Clifton Harlan Wells Maloney | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date |
| Died | September 25, 2009 (aged 71) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, mountaineer |
| Known for | Founder and president of C. H. W. Maloney & Co., Inc.; mountaineering achievements including summiting five of the Seven Summits and Cho Oyu |
Clifton Harlan Wells Maloney (October 15, 1937 – September 25, 2009) was a prominent American entrepreneur.
Early life
Maloney earned his undergraduate degree from Princeton University in 1960, followed by an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1965. Between 1960 and 1963, he served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy, operating on destroyer vessels within the Pacific theater. Known for his passion for sports and exploration, he was affiliated with the Explorers Club, the Alpine Club, and the New York Yacht Club. Demonstrating remarkable endurance, Maloney completed the New York City Marathon on twenty occasions and was recognized as the fastest American in his age category in 2008.
Career
In 1981, Maloney established the investment company C. H. W. Maloney & Co., Inc., where he held the position of president. Prior to founding his firm, he was employed as a vice president at Goldman Sachs, specializing in investment banking activities.
He also served on the boards of Chromium Industries, Inc. and the Wall Street Fund. His involvement extended to civic engagement within Manhattan; he contributed as a board member for both Civitas and the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens. Additionally, he took charge of financial management for his wife's political campaigns.
Family
Maloney wed Carolyn Jane Bosher in 1976. She subsequently became a U.S. representative for a district encompassing portions of Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. The couple had two daughters named Christina and Virginia.
Mountain climbing and death
An experienced mountaineer, Maloney was believed at the time of his passing to be the eldest American to have reached the summit of an "Eight-thousander"—one of fourteen peaks exceeding 8,000 meters in height. He successfully climbed five of the "Seven Summits", including Denali, Kilimanjaro, Vinson Massif, Aconcagua, and Mount Elbrus. On September 24, 2009, at age 71, he achieved the summit of Tibet’s nearly 27,000-foot Cho Oyu alongside a sherpa and guide Marty Schmidt. After descending to Camp 2 at approximately 23,000 feet, he reportedly expressed, "I'm the happiest man in the world. I've just summited a beautiful mountain." He then rested but tragically did not awaken.
Maloney’s funeral took place on October 9, 2009, at Manhattan’s Brick Presbyterian Church, attended by close to 1,000 individuals including former President Bill Clinton, New York Governor David Paterson, and Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro. During the ceremony, singer-songwriter Carole King performed her song "So Far Away".
External links
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1937 births
- 2009 deaths
- American mountain climbers
- Goldman Sachs people
- Mountaineering deaths
- Businesspeople from Manhattan
- Businesspeople from Philadelphia
- United States Navy officers
- Sport deaths in China
- Harvard Business School alumni
- Princeton University alumni
- 20th-century American businesspeople
- Deaths on Cho Oyu