A 1974 graduate of Bear Creek High School, who went on to become an international expert in the field of artificial intelligence, died just 1,200 feet short of the summit of Mount Everest.
Robert W. Milne, 48, of West Lothian, in the high-tech sector of Scotland known as the Silicon Glen, apparently died from a massive heart attack early this month. The exact date of his death hasn’t been determined, according to a sister, Diana Milne of Denver.
Robert Milne graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and received a Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, at the age of 27. He worked as the chief artificial intelligence scientist at the Pentagon before forming Intelligent Applications Ltd. in Livingston, Scotland.
He had climbed the highest mountains on the six other continents, plus the highest among the islands that make up Oceania in the South Pacific, and was nearing his goal of reaching the highest point on every continent – one of mountaineering’s most cherished accomplishments.
“Every since he started climbing hills, the seven summits have been on his mind,” his sister said. “This is a family of overachievers. Our whole family is geared toward achievement. We always push the limits.”
Milne was born July 13, 1956, in Libby, Mont. He moved to Colorado with his family in 1966, and to the Littleton area in 1969.
“When he was in Boy Scouts – he’s an Eagle Scout from Troop 459 in Littleton – he got into mountain climbing and stuff that way,” Diana Milne said. “He was a captain in the Arapahoe Rescue Patrol, based out of the Littleton Fire Department, in 1974.”
After earning his doctorate, Milne returned to the United States to complete a four-year commitment in the U.S. Army because he had an ROTC scholarship.
He returned to his ancestral Scotland after working for the military.
Milne is survived by his wife, Valerie; a son, Alex, 21, who attends St. Andrews University in Scotland; a daughter, Rosemary, 19, who attends the University of Edinburgh school of veterinary medicine; his parents, Richard and Dorothy Milne, of south Jefferson County; and two sisters Diana and Donna Dammar, of Elizabeth.
His body will be left on the mountain, as is customary, Diana Milne said. Funeral services are pending.
Staff writer Jim Kirksey can be reached at 303-820-1448 or jkirksey@denverpost.com.
