Ken, 87, died February 3, 2015 in Dayton, Nevada. He obtained his pilot's license in 1948 and flew for the Forest Service as a Tanker, Lead Plane and smokejumper pilot. Ken was based at NCSB from 1963-1977 where he lived with his wife and four children in the little trailer across the runway.

Ken flew the Doug and Twin Beach and dropped over 2000 jumpers. He went on to fly lead plane pilot in Redmond from 1977-81.

Ken flew many different types of airplanes from DC-3, DC-4, N3N Biplanes, Twin Beech, Cesena's, Piper's, Bonanza, B-26, T-34, Aero Commander, and his Navion in which he landed on the Loup Loup Highway in 1973 with jumper Jim Detro (NCSB-67) after a prop failure. In 1963 he flew what is now known as "The Sentimental Journey" B-17 when it had been modified to drop retardant on forest fires.