David Glidden passed away on Sunday, August 16th. David was a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he earned a bachelor’s degree through an individual concentration in mountain climatology. He devoted much of his professional life to the study of wind, weather, and alpine environments.

As a field specialist in wind and mountain climatology, he focused on extreme winds and alpine conditions. His research took him to some of the country’s most remarkable and challenging landscapes, including Mount Washington and the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, and Denali National Park in Alaska.

He also shared his knowledge generously as a leader of Mount Washington EduTrips, helping people with little or no prior mountain experience learn about and safely encounter the place famously known for “the World’s Worst Weather.”

Beyond his scientific work, he was a strong advocate for women in the sciences and on the athletic field. He served as head coach of women’s soccer at Marian High School in Framingham and later at Lasell College from 2001 to 2003.

In addition to many published research studies, he was also an author of fiction, writing Undercast in 2013 and its sequel, Memories in the Undercast, in 2014.

He was predeceased by his wife, Judith Glidden in 2013, and his sister, Sally Glidden.

He is survived by his daughter, Jill Glidden of California; his nieces Corey Feltovic and her family of Massachusetts, Rebeccalyn Wanzyck and her family of Massachusetts, Julia Bell of California, and Jenna Bell of California; his nephew Tucker Mahoney and his family of Massachusetts; and his brother-in-law Jim Bell and his wife, Jeannette Bell, of California.

His legacy lives on in the people he taught, coached, encouraged, and inspired, as well as in the enduring contributions he made to the understanding of mountain weather and extreme environments.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: Mount Washington Observatory and Rocky Mountain Conservancy

A graveside service is being planned and a date will be announced.