While Sir Edmund insisted he was an ordinary New Zealander, for the community around the Remuera Rd home he shared with Lady June he was definitely something special.
Jashu Masmistry, at the Armadale Dairy opposite their home, said the great climber had stopped by twice at his storein the past few years.
"He said 'you recognise me?'," said Mrs Masmistry, smiling at the memory. "I said 'yes' - he's a great man."
At the Shell service station on Remuera Rd Ansan Baisa had heard Sir Edmund lived nearby.
"He's a famous man - even in India. We are studying about him from first standard because of Everest."
Two longtime Remuera residents said they saw Sir Edmund regularly walking to the post office, and recalled the day he married Lady June at the Diocesan church in Remuera.
"He looked just like he did on the TV. We admired him - he was very active even in the last few years."
The pair - sisters - said they spoke to Sir Edmund and Lady June while they were enjoying an ice-cream at St Heliers about a year ago. "He never changed and his wife's lovely."
With his health failing and public appearances scarce following a fall in Nepal in April last year, Sir Ed was rarely seen outside his home.
A Remuera couple who laid a wreath of roses, lavender, puka and olive branches from their garden at the top of the Hillarys' drive, said it was "just something we wanted to do".
Loreta Archbold, 50, who lives nearby with her partner Malcolm Archbold said she admired the way Sir Ed inspired young people.
She said she would sometimes see Sir Ed out walking but hadn't seen him in the past year or so.
Mr Archbold said although Sir Edmund had passed away he would continue to be an icon.
Another neighbour, whose eyes were welled with tears when the Herald approached him, said it was a "sad day for New Zealand".
He could not ever remember seeing Sir Ed around the neighbourhood although Lady June was often spotted.
When the Herald called to check on Sir Ed's health about three months ago after receiving a tip-off he was in hospital, Lady June answered the phone to say he was "very much alive and well". Sir Ed apparently had his feet up and was enjoying a South Africa and Pakistan cricket match on TV.
