DL Capt. Jay Escude

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

USAF veteran, DL Capt. Jay Escude

June 5, 1959 ~ September 24, 2026

 

Jay joined Delta Air Lines 06-25-1990.  He is survived by his partner Toui, and by his children Luke and Grey.  Please see Facebook posting below.

PCN Memorial site

 

Facebook posting by Stacy Escude Bordelon…..

Please say a prayer for my brother and his family. May he rest in peace.

Jay Arthur Escudé

June 5, 1959 – September 24, 2026

Jay Arthur Escudé, father, brother, uncle, aviator, and friend, passed away on September 24, 2026, in Dallas, Texas. He was 67 years old.

Jay was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur J. Escudé and Isma R. Escudé; his brother-in-law, Thomas M. Bordelon; and his nephew, Aaron Jeansonne.

He is survived by his partner, Toui Luangkhot Murray; his children Luke Escude’ (Alex) and Grey Escude; his siblings, Stacy Bordelon (David), Andrew Escudé, and Jody Jeansonne (Mark) and numerous nieces and nephews who will cherish his memory.

A graduate of Mansura High School, Class of 1977, Jay distinguished himself early through his academic achievement, leadership, and determination. He was awarded a four-year Air Force ROTC scholarship and went on to earn a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University, where he was an active member of ROTC.

During his time at LSU, Jay excelled as a cadet and was honored as Cadet of the Year his freshman year with the Bengal Raiders. He also worked at the LSU Equestrian and Ag Center during an important period in its agricultural research, when researchers were successfully breeding cattle and buffalo, contributing to the development of the beefalo.

Following graduation, Jay entered active-duty service in the United States Air Force in 1981. During his military career, he earned a master’s degree from St. Mary’s University and became an F-15 fighter pilot. He served his country with distinction until his honorable discharge as Captain in 1990. Among his military honors were the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, along with other awards recognizing his service and accomplishments.

After leaving active duty, Jay began a second distinguished aviation career with Delta Air Lines. His love of flying continued throughout his life, and he ultimately retired from Delta as a Captain on the 767-400 in 2024.

Jay was truly a larger-than-life individual. He had a passion for adventure, especially overseas travel, and he loved discovering new places and experiences. He was an passionate LSU football fan, a talented and enthusiastic cook, and a generous host who loved nothing more than gathering family and friends in his home. His home was a place where people felt welcome, where there was always good food, good conversation, and plenty of laughter.

Jay also believed in giving back and was able to fulfill his final wish of organ donation. He generously supported charitable organizations, including the Wounded Warrior Project and the North Texas Food Bank, reflecting his enduring commitment to serving others.

Jay lived a remarkable life defined by service, achievement, adventure, family, and friendship. From his years as an Air Force officer and F-15 pilot to his decades as a Delta captain, he approached life with energy, confidence, curiosity, and an unmistakable presence. Those who knew him will remember not only all that he accomplished, but also the joy, humor, generosity, and larger-than-life spirit he brought to every gathering.

He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing him.

A Celebration of Life in his honor at a later date.

 

NWA/DL Capt. Lewis Kieffer

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

USAF, NWA/DL Capt. Lewis Kieffer

May 20, 1957 ~ October 7, 2026

 

Lewis “Lew” Eugene Kieffer joined Northwest Airlines 01-23-1987 and retired with Delta Air Lines was based Minneapolis.  Lew is survived by his wife Sue, and by his children and grandchildren.  Services are set for October 14^th in Hastings, Minnesota…..visitation/Rosary the evening prior….please see obituary below for arrangements.

 

PCN memorial site

 

https://www.legacy.com/person/lewis-eugene-kieffer-62622406 

 

Lewis Kieffer Obituary

Obituary published Honsa Family Funeral Home :

https://www.honsafamilyfuneral.com/  

Beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend.
Lewis, age 69, passed away on October 7, 2026. He was born in Hastings, Minnesota, the fourth of Edna and Charles Kieffer's five children. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Sue, his six children Ryan (Anne), Drew (McKenzie), Charlie (Helen), Gennie, Catherine, and Teresa, and 14 grandchildren Mary, Marta, Blaise, Zelie, Charlie, Rouen, Finn, Enna, Eleanor, Theodore, Caroline, Charlotte, Maria, and Emma, and his brothers Ray (Sue) and Bill (Kymi), and sisters Mary Lou Tittensor and Mickey (Ted) Feyder.

Visitation:   4-7pm on October 13th with a Rosary at 6:30 at Honsa Funeral Home, 2460 East County Road E, White Bear Lake, MN.

Funeral mass:   10am on October 14th at St. Anne's Chapel, 2445 East County Road E, White Bear Lake, MN.   Burial to follow mass, at St. Boniface Cemetery, Hastings, MN

Luncheon:  To follow burial at GrandStay Hotel & Suites Hastings

Lew was a pilot for 40 years, loved spending time with family, hunting, playing hockey, and helping others.  He started his flying career in the Air Force flying C-141s before moving back to Minnesota and flying for Northwest Airlines and Delta Airlines, accumulating 22,000 flying hours over his career. Lew was happy to volunteer his time and handyman skills at St. Anne's Chapel, which he and Sue attended for 38 years. Since 1996, he has loved hosting family and friends at the hunting cabin up north. He spent countless hours preparing it for everyone's enjoyment. He especially loved bow hunting, turkey hunting, and protecting the cabin from porcupines. He also enjoyed shooting carp in the backwaters of the Mississippi near Hastings, Minnesota, where he grew up hunting and fishing with his dad and brothers. In April of 2023, he and Sue moved to a lake home where he could take Sue water skiing every day. He also enjoyed pulling kids, grandkids, and friends tubing, water skiing, and wakeboarding. If he wasn't driving the boat, he was kept busy baiting fishing hooks for grandchildren and their friends. In the winter, he meticulously created a huge rink on the lake. He was always happy watching his children play sports or joining them in friendly hockey and volleyball games. In his spare time, he reluctantly traveled wherever his daughters and wife could convince him to go.

He loved to help his children, whether it was moving to another house or apartment, fixing a leaky dishwasher or a broken car, fencing a garden, building a chicken coop, putting up a backyard hockey rink, or replacing a mailbox. We'll always have reminders of his love for us.

He lived his life in the service of others, always striving to emulate St. Joseph. He will be missed by all.     Memorials preferred to: St. Anne's Academy https://saawbl.org/support-us#kpg_516967

 

DL John Earle Ellington Jr., son of DL Capt John E. Ellington Sr.

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

John Earle Ellington Jr.

Nov 19, 1968 ~ Oct 6, 2026

 

John’s passing was unexpected and we understand was the result of an implement/tractor accident.  John junior is the son of retired Delta Air Lines pilot and former Chief Pilot Captain John Earle Ellington Sr….John senior joined Delta 09-04-1962.   John Jr is survived by his wife Lynn, and by his daughters, also by his father John Sr. and stepmother Barbara.

Visitation will be held October 10th with funeral services to follow at the Williamson Memorial Funeral Home in Franklin TN…..please see obituary for more information. 

 

PCN memorial site

 

https://www.williamsonmemorial.com/obituaries/john-ellington-jr 

A native of Atlanta, Georgia, John was the son of John Ellington and the late Carol Dennis. He was preceded in death by his mother, Carol Dennis, and his father-in-law, Harry “Jack” Lameier.

John leaves behind to cherish his memory his loving wife, Lynn Ellington; his daughters, Jessica “Jessie” Ellington and Catherine “Catie” Ellington; his father, John Ellington; his stepmother, Barbara Ellington; his brother-in-law, Brandon Lameier; and his mother-in-law, Constance “Connie” Lameier.

John was an accomplished pilot with many years in the aviation industry. He flew for American Trans Air, American Airlines, and ValuJet, and spent several years as a private pilot for NASCAR driver Sterling Marlin. He later started his own aviation maintenance business, MidSouth Aviation. One of the most meaningful chapters of his life came when he became a loving stay-at-home father, helping raise his daughters, whom he affectionately called “Jessie Poo” and “Crazy Catie.”

John was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and take on a challenge. He spent time working in construction and, alongside his close friend John Roach, built the house where the Ellington family still resides. He eventually returned to the aviation world, working for his dear friend John Sanzo as the Airline Maintenance Manager for Secure Air Charter.

John had many passions and hobbies. He loved tinkering with his cars, working on and improving his home, and pursuing his never-ending mission to destroy all squirrels and woodpeckers that dared to come within a 10-mile radius of his log home. But above all else, his greatest passion was his family—his girls, Jessie and Catie, and his wife, Lynn.

Some of John’s fondest memories were made with his three girls. They especially loved spending quality time together on their boat, making memories that his family will treasure forever. He was an avid Georgia Bulldogs fan, with a soft spot for Alabama, Jessie’s alma mater, and Tennessee, Lynn’s alma mater. John and Catie shared a particularly special bond, as they had similar personalities, humor, and wit, and he loved reminding everyone that Jessie was smarter than her mother. The family’s time together was often filled with laughter.

Above all, John’s greatest love was his wife, Lynn, whom he cherished deeply. Together, they enjoyed traveling and making memories, especially during their trips to Italy and Gatlinburg.

John had a gift for making people smile. His humor, kindness, and larger-than-life personality brought light into the lives of everyone who knew him. Every life he touched was brighter because he was a part of it. John will be remembered as a kind, loving, funny, and unforgettable soul. He leaves behind a lifetime of memories and a family who loved him deeply. He will be profoundly missed by his family, friends, and all those whose lives he touched.

Visitation will be held Saturday, October 10, 2026, beginning at 3:00 p.m., with funeral services to follow at 5:00 p.m. at Williamson Memorial Funeral Home in Franklin, Tennessee. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

 

 

NWA/DL Capt. Roger “Scott” McDonald

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

NWA/DL Capt. Roger “Scott” McDonald

July 9, 1955 ~ July 24, 2026

 

Scott joined Northwest Airlines 08-16-1991 and retired with Delta Air Lines based Seattle.  Scott is survived by his wife Kathy, and by his children and grandchildren.   

 

PCN memorial site 

 

https://www.legacy.com/legacy/roger-mcdonald

 

Roger Scott McDonald's Obituary

Roger Scott McDonald, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, pilot, and friend, passed away at home surrounded by the love of his family on July 24th, following his battle with acute leukemia.

Scott was born on July 9th, 1955, in Boise, Idaho, to Rodger and Joanne McDonald; their third of four children. He spent his early years in Boise before the family moved to Bellevue, Washington, where he grew up and developed the independence and work ethic that would define his life. In his youth he taught himself how to ski at Snoqualmie Pass, and enjoyed playing with his three siblings along the waters of Lake Washington. Scott played football for Bellevue High School, where he graduated in 1973.

Scott began his college studies in Colorado, where his love for skiing and the outdoors deepened. In his early twenties, drawn by a calling toward aviation and adventure, Scott made his way north to Alaska. There he trained as a pilot and flew small planes through the Alaskan bush. He completed his degree in Aviation through Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. During Scott’s time in Anchorage, he met the love of his life, Kathy Suver. The couple fell in love and got married atop Mount Alyeska in June 1982.

Pursuing his goal of becoming a commercial pilot, Scott joined Hawaiian Airlines and moved from Anchorage to Oahu, where he and Kathy spent three warm years. After their time in Hawaii, Scott’s career brought them back to Washington, where they put down roots and started a family, ultimately settling in Gig Harbor. Scott enjoyed a 30-year career as a commercial airline pilot, flying for Northwest and later Delta Air Lines. He loved flying and took pride in his work. Even after thousands of hours in the air, Scott never lost his appreciation for flight and travel.

Scott’s greatest joy was spending time with his family. He and Kathy raised two sons, Conor and Cameron. He treasured being "Grandpa” to his three grandchildren: Sloane (10) and Silas (7), children of Conor and Rachel McDonald, and Cedric (8 months), son of Cameron and Cyndie McDonald. Some of Scott’s happiest moments came from family vacations, especially boat trips on Lake Chelan and ski trips throughout the Pacific Northwest. He also made countless memories at Crystal Mountain, skiing with his sons and close friends. He felt most at home on the slopes, where he found excitement and renewal. Scott also enjoyed golf, not only for the game itself but for the life lessons, friendships, and conversations it brought.

Those who knew Scott will remember him as a hardworking, humble, and thoughtful man. He believed in personal responsibility and self-reliance, often reminding others of his favorite saying, "If it's going to be, it's up to me". He lived those words every day, setting an example through actions rather than words. Around the house, Scott was always working on a DIY project, approaching each task with determination and a quiet belief that he could figure it out. He was admired for his ability to solve problems, and the effort he put into doing things the right way. He was also devoted a Seahawks fan who rarely missed a game, and his family likes to think their 2026 Super Bowl victory was a meaningful final tribute to a lifelong fan.

Scott's legacy lives on in those he loved, the values he instilled, and the countless memories shared by those fortunate enough to know him. Though Scott has left this world, his spirit remains present in every mountain sunrise, soaring above the peaks before dropping into an endless run of fresh powder.

DL Capt. John McCurdy

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

USAF veteran, DL Capt. John McCurdy

Mar 7, 1937 — Oct 4, 2026

 

Captain John Alexander McCurdy Jr. joined Delta Air Lines 10-02-1967 and was based Dallas.  John is survived by his wife Mary Denise, and by his children and their families. John had most recently resided in Eastport ME and Comfort TX.  A memorial service will be held in Texas at a later date yet to be determined.  

PCN memorial site

 

https://www.maysfuneralhome.com/obituaries/john-mccurdy 

Obituary

John Alexander McCurdy passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 4, 2026, at the age of 89 in Calais, Maine, with his wife of 21 years, Mary Denise, by his side.

It is hard to put 89 years of someone's life into words, especially when that life was as full and vibrant as John's.

Over the past several months, we had been working together to capture the stories of his life, and I am incredibly grateful we had that time. What became clear through those conversations was that John truly lived a life worth telling.

His adventures began early. Through the YMCA, he discovered a remarkable talent for trampoline and diving, which took him from the circus circuit to the University of Iowa trampoline team and even performances at Atlantic City's famous Steel Pier. Eventually, his journey led him to the skies, where he flew for the Air Force before going on to a career as a Delta Air Lines pilot.

That adventurous spirit never left him. He loved traveling, exploring new places, trying new experiences, and returning home with another story to tell. One of his favorite sayings was, "Do what you want and have fun doing it." Looking back, it's clear he lived exactly that way.

But John's life wasn't defined only by the extraordinary moments. It was also the simple things that made him who he was.

He played the bones and washboard in a band, loved his harmonicas, and never turned down Polar Treat, pasta, ice cream, or plenty of chocolate sauce. Comfort was always home, but Maine held a special place in his heart and became his beloved home away from home.

Most importantly, John was family. He was a devoted husband to Mary Denise, father to Robin, Michelle, Shelley, Hannah, and Annecy, and grandfather to McCall, Wyatt, Shea, Roen, and Mary. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, and his first wife, Melinda.

John leaves behind countless stories. Some were remarkable, some were hilarious, and some probably grew a little better each time he told them. Those stories, and the memories that come with them, are gifts we get to keep.

A memorial service will be held in Comfort at a later date, and details will be shared when available.

There is so much more that could be said about a life that spanned 89 years. But maybe the simplest tribute is also the most fitting:

We love you, John. Thank you for the stories, the laughter, the adventures, the love, and the example of a life fully lived.

What a life you lived.