LOUISVILLE — Presbyterian Bruce R. Kennedy, who led the expansion of Alaska Airlines as its chief executive before stepping down in 1991 to pursue humanitarian interests, was killed June 28 when the single-engine airplane he was piloting crashed in central Washington state.
The 68-year-old resident of Burien, Wash., was a longtime member and elder at John Knox Church in suburban Seattle, and served on the General Assembly Council (GAC) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) from 1993-1999.
“While we are deeply saddened by the loss of someone we love and admire so much, we rejoice in the knowledge that Bruce is united with his Lord Jesus and take comfort in the fact that he died doing something he loved and in which he took great pleasure,” his family, including his wife Karleen, said in a statement released by Alaska Airlines.
At the time of the accident, Kennedy was on his way from Hot Springs, Mont., to visit his grandchildren in Wenatchee, Wash. His Cessna 182 clipped a tree on its final approach to the Cashmere (Wash.) airport and crashed into a nearby high school parking lot, according to the Associated Press.
The plane hit a parked flatbed truck and a tree before coming to a stop a few feet from a house, then caught fire, the news agency reported. Kennedy died at the scene, the Chelan County sheriff’s office told the AP.
Bill Chapman, who served on GAC during Kennedy’s term on council, remembered listening to the retired airline executive tell aviation stories.
“You didn’t have to be with him long until he got inside you,” said Chapman, who resides in Hillsdale, N.J. “His warmth, compassion and brilliance were just amazing. Obviously, he was an outstanding business man but also a devoted, committed Christian.”
Kennedy was Alaska Air’s chairman, chief executive officer and president from 1978 to 1991 and continued to serve on the board of directors until his death, according to the airline’s statement. Under his leadership, annual revenue rose from $234.5 million in 1982 to $1.1 billion in 1991.
Bill Ayer, chairman and chief executive officer of Alaska Air’s parent Alaska Air Group, said in the statement that Kennedy is remembered at the company as “a man of great vision and compassion.”
He said Kennedy’s impact on the Seattle-based airline, the community, the state of Alaska and the important causes he believed in has been immeasurable. “All of us at Alaska Air Group are deeply saddened by this terrible loss of a revered leader and dear friend,” Ayer said. “Bruce’s legacy extends far beyond his storied leadership of this airline.”
After 32 years with Alaska Airlines, Kennedy left the company at age 52 to pursue humanitarian efforts. He and Karleen traveled to China to teach English with the Christian group Educational Services International, and they volunteered with World Relief and sheltered dozens of refugee families in their home, the Associated Press said.
For eight years, Kennedy served as chairman of the Idaho-based Mission Aviation Fellowship, which operates some 90 light aircraft in remote areas of the world. He also served on the boards of a number of Christian groups, including Crista Ministries, a Seattle-based ministry that links churches with mission organizations.
At the time of his death, he was chairman of the board for Quest Aircraft Co. of Sandpoint, Idaho, which makes planes for humanitarian routes in remote and conflicted areas.
Kennedy was flying back to Washington state following a visit to the company when the fatal accident occurred, according to the Rev. Bryan Burton, pastor of John Knox Church.
“He was coming back from what he believed was the call of God in his life,” Burton told the Presbyterian News Service. “To create an airplane that would help the mission of Christ around the world be more effective and efficient. Bruce believed in it whole heartedly and gave his life for it.”
The minister said Kennedy was well known in the Seattle business community and elsewhere for his strong commitment to the Christian faith. He also mentored many people about what it meant to be Christian in the business world, Burton said.
Kennedy was born in Denver on Oct. 11, 1938, and moved with his family to Alaska when he was a teenager. He was awarded honorary degrees from both Seattle Pacific University and his alma mater, University of Alaska. Last year, Seattle’s Museum of Flight honored Kennedy with its prestigious Pathfinder Award in recognition of a professional life dedicated to aviation.
Kennedy is survived by his wife; two children, Kevin Kennedy and Karin Hejmanowski; two brothers, Keith and Charles; and two grandchildren.
A memorial service was held July 6 at John Knox Presbyterian Church.
