Richard Proenneke - Death and Legacy

Death and Legacy

In 1999, at age 82, Proenneke returned to civilization and lived the remainder of his life with his brother in California. He died of a stroke April 20, 2003 at the age of 86. He left his cabin to the National Park Service, and it remains a popular visitor attraction in the still-remote Twin Lakes region.

In 1973, Sam Keith edited the book One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey, from Proenneke's journals and photography. After years in print it was re-issued in a new format in 1999, and won the 1999 National Outdoor Book Award (NOBA). In 2003, some of the copyrighted text from the book and some of Proenneke's film were used with permission in Alone in the Wilderness, which began appearing on U.S. Public Television. The film centers around Proenneke building a cabin from the surrounding natural resources and includes his film footage and narration of wildlife, weather, and the natural scenery while he goes about his daily routine over the course of the winter months.

In 2005, the National Park Service and the Alaska Natural History Association published More Readings From One Man's Wilderness, another volume of Proenneke's journal entries. The book, edited by John Branson, a longtime Lake Clark National Park employee and friend of Proenneke, covers the years when the park was established. Dick had a very close relationship with the Park Service, assisting them in filming sensitive areas and notifying them if poachers were in the area.