Jack Hemingway

Jack Hemingway
	Jack Hemingway as a young man
Born	October 10, 1923
Birthplace	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Nationality	Canadian / American
Occupation	Angler, conservationist, writer
Known for	Oldest son of Ernest Hemingway; conservation efforts
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Jack Hemingway (born John Hadley Nicanor Hemingway; October 10, 1923 – December 1, 2000) was the Canadian-American eldest son of novelist Ernest Hemingway and Hadley Richardson. A passionate fly fisherman, he became a respected conservationist and author of autobiographical works.

Early life edit

Jack was born in Toronto during visits his parents made to Canada, and was named partly after matador Nicanor Villalta y Serrés. His childhood, often spent in Paris and the Austrian Alps, earned him the nickname Bumby, and he became fluent in French, German, and English. His godparents included Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas.

Education and military service edit

Jack briefly attended the University of Montana and Dartmouth College, studying military French, before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1943. Commissioned as an MP lieutenant, he later joined the OSS and taught sabotage, demolitions, and weapons in Algeria. He parachuted into occupied France to work with the resistance and was captured, spending months as a POW.

Conservation and angling edit

After the war, Jack married Byra Whittlesey (1949), with Julia Child serving as maid-of-honor. He worked as a stockbroker and fishing‑gear salesman before retiring to Idaho in 1967. He served on the Idaho Fish and Game Commission (1971–1977) and helped enact catch‑and‑release laws and preserve streams like Silver Creek.

Writing edit

Jack assisted Mary Hemingway in preparing A Moveable Feast (1964), and authored the memoir Misadventures of a Fly Fisherman: My Life With and Without Papa (1986), with a posthumous sequel, A Life Worth Living: The Adventures of a Passionate Sportsman (2002).

Personal life edit

He and Byra had three daughters, including Margaux (1954–1996) and Mariel (b. 1961). After Byra's death, he married Angela Holvey in 1989.

Legacy and death edit

Jack passed away from complications following heart surgery in New York City at age 77. In 2001, Idaho designated an annual “Jack Hemingway Conservation Day” in his honor. He is buried in Ketchum Cemetery beside family members.

Select bibliography edit

Misadventures of a Fly Fisherman: My Life With and Without Papa (1986)
A Life Worth Living: The Adventures of a Passionate Sportsman (2002, posthumous)