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Right until the end, Sir Edmund Hillary remained in high spirits, his family revealed.
With his health failing, the mountaineering legend had spent the past year in and out of hospital.
His final stay at Auckland City Hospital began on Monday, and ended yesterday at 9am when he died in his sleep of a heart attack - shortly before he was expected to be discharged.
His wife Lady June, daughter Sarah, stepdaughter Susan Hayman and other family members were understood to have been at the hospital at the time.
Family spokesman Mark Sainsbury said Sir Edmund's heart simply "gave out".
"He had been in good spirits - he had been sitting up and chatting and whatever, but as I say, this morning, it was just his time.
"He had been in good form and was looking forward to coming home and had remained in good spirits until the end. June and his family had been constant visitors during his short stay in Auckland hospital."
Mr Sainsbury last saw him on Boxing Day.
"He was tired but was still fine mentally and wasn't on oxygen or anything."
Lady June's daughter Susan Hayman arrived back from Antarctica at 4am yesterday. She said outside the family's Remuera home yesterday that her stepfather had remained in "high spirits" prior to his death.
Sir Edmund's son Peter Hillary had been in Europe but is understood to be on his way back.
Documentary maker and cartoonist Tom Scott spoke to Sir Edmund on the phone last week.
"Ed was joking and laughing on the phone. He didn't die an unhappy man, he retained his sense of humour right to the end. He was cheerful and joking and had all his marbles and he knew he had a good life. And I suspect that in the end he knew his time was coming and he was ready. Although it's terribly sad, you can't begrudge a man when he's 88 for going to join his maker."
Sir Edmund has spent the past year in and out of Auckland City Hospital, most notably last April after being injured from a fall while in Nepal. He did not seek help there, but was admitted after returning from one of his regular visits to the country, where he runs a charity that has set up 27 schools.
His Himalayan Trust also supports dozens of other schools and two hospitals in the remote Solukhumbhu region, home to Mt Everest, and to the Sherpas, the yak-herding people known for their climbing skills.
* TVNZ presenter Mark Sainsbury's long friendship with the Hillarys has led him to the unusual position of being a spokesman for the family. The Close Up host became good friends with the Hillarys and has made documentaries, travelling with Sir Ed to Nepal. He said Lady June had asked him to help when the time came. Yesterday, that meant a frantic drive from Waikato to the Hillary home.
