Representing all pilot families now under the Delta umbrella.....created by DL Capt Mark Sztanyo, ret
~ IN MEMORY ~
USAF veteran, WA/DL Capt. Kent Tekrony
August 12, 1940 ~ October 30, 2026
From friends and family we have learned of the passing of Captain Kent Tekrony.....
Following his military service, Kent David Tekrony joined Western Airlines 04-22-1968. Kent is survived by his wife Jeanine.
Arrangements are not yet known....should more information be received, we will pass it along.
Thank you,
~ Carol for the PCN
PCN memorial site
~ IN MEMORY ~
USAF veteran, WA/DL Capt. Ron Gilbert
June 05, 1935 - Oct. 28, 2026
Following his military service, Captain RONALD GENE GILBERT joined Western Airlines 01-15-1968 and retired with Delta Air Lines based SLC. Widowed in 2023, Ron is survived by his daughters and their families.
Services honoring Ron have been held privately in Arizona.
Interment : National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/326852973/ronald-gene-gilbert
More photos are available for viewing at the Veterans Legacy memorial site :
https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/RONALDGENEGILBERT/adedd4
https://pcnflightwest.blogspot.com/2024/04/janis-jan-gilbert-wife-of-wadl-capt-ron.html
Janis "Jan" Gilbert, wife of retired Western/Delta pilot Captain Ron Gilbert
March 21, 1936 ~ November 30, 2023
Ronald Gene Gilbert and Janis Lea O’Dell were married in Illinois on August 31, 1957.
~ IN MEMORY ~
Military veteran, NWA Capt. Revedy C. Ray III
December 30, 1939 - December 3, 2025
Following his military service, Revedy Cuthbert "RC" Ray III joined Northwest Airlines 08-05-1968 and retired with Northwest in 1999. RC is survived by his wife Susan, and by his children and their families.
https://www.legacy.com/legacy/revedy-ray-iii
Revedy C. Ray III's Obituary
Revedy C. Ray III (R.C.) Class of 1961, was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, to Rosemary Durst Ray and R.C. Ray, Jr. R.C. was raised in Little Rock and carried a fondness for his hometown with him throughout a life defined by service, adventure, and a love of the outdoors.
R.C. attended Texas A&M University as a member of the Corps of Cadets where he formed lifelong bonds and developed skills that would continue to guide him. His love for his alma mater never faded, and he remained devoted to Texas A&M, proudly supporting the next generations of Aggies through the Association of Former Students and the Texas A&M Foundation. While an undergraduate, he was selected to be a member of the Ross Volunteer Company, the official military honor guard for the Governor of Texas and the oldest student organization at Texas A&M University. He joined the United States Marine Corps, completing the Platoon Leaders Course as Battalion Honor Man. Following commissioning, he attended The Basic School and upon graduation entered flight training, receiving his Wings of Gold in 1963. R.C. was qualified to fly the T-34, TF-9J, F-11, and the A-4. As an A-4 pilot, he bravely flew over 100 combat missions in Vietnam, a testament to his courage, skill, and dedication to his fellow Marines and his country. His time in the cockpit fueled an interest in aviation that took him from military service to a distinguished 31-year career for Northwest Airlines. He was qualified to fly many airframes for Northwest that included the B727, B757, B767, and B747. His airframe qualifications also included a Cessna 185 seaplane and a Learjet.
R.C. found his peace and joy in the great outdoors. He had a deep love of hunting and fishing, passions he thoroughly enjoyed sharing with family and friends, creating many memories in the woods and on the water. He also loved cross-country and downhill skiing, running, and playing tennis, activities he shared with his children. He was a competitive and highly rated USTA tennis player, and at the peak of his running days, he completed a marathon.
He was a devoted husband to his wife, Susan, sharing a lifetime of memories through their many adventures together. Growing up and throughout his entire life, he remained close to his sisters, Margaret and Martha, sharing a bond of love and laughter.
R.C.’s legacy lives through his four loving children: John (Hue) Ray; Bill (Valicia) Ray; Andy (Liz) Ray; and Maria Ray (Hill) Goodspeed. He was a proud Grandpa to eleven grandchildren: Emma Ray, Sara Ray, Hunter (Elise) Vickrey Rebecca Ray (Joe) Muhitch, Alex Ray, Chloe Ray, Katie Ray (Sam) Goecke, Andrew Ray, Connor Goodspeed, Jackson (Claire) Goodspeed, Anna Goodspeed, and great-grandchild, Peter Ambrose Goecke. He also leaves behind brother-in-law Richard (Martha) Brooks, sisters-in-law Paula (Dave) Skelton and Gina (John) Hernandez and several nieces and nephews.
His steady manner, quiet strength, and easy smile will be missed by family and friends. The family celebrated his life by holding a private ceremony surrounded by the peaceful sounds of rushing waters and birdsong.
Published on Legacy.com November 06, 2026
~ IN MEMORY ~
DL F/O John Clinton Upshaw
June 15, 1965 ~ November 1, 2026
He started flying at 14 and made it his career, flying for Delta Air Lines from 1997 as a first officer on the Boeing 767ER on international routes.................
John joined Delta Air Lines 11-06-1997 and was based Atlanta. He is survived by his wife Julie, and by his children and their families.
Services to honor John will be held November 9th in Atlanta...please see obituary below for details.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/john-upshaw-obituary?id=62907209
John Upshaw Obituary
Groce Funeral Home & Cremation Services - Patton Avenue
It is with profound sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of John Clinton Upshaw of Highlands, NC, on November 1, 2026. John was 61 and deeply loved by his family and friends. He will be remembered for his quick wit, his kindness, and the many ways he made others laugh.
John was born in Atlanta, GA, and graduated from Pace Academy in 1984 and Purdue University in 1988. He started flying at 14 and made it his career, flying for Delta Air Lines from 1997 as a first officer on the Boeing 767ER on international routes. He loved having family and friends on board, and over the years they flew with him all over Europe. He was a longtime fan of Jimmy Stewart, a fellow pilot. He could recite episodes of The Andy Griffith Show word for word, and he loved Seinfeld. Being a grandaddy to Isla was one of the great joys of his life, especially the cuddling.
John is survived by his wife, Julie Upshaw; his daughter and son-in-law, Abigail and Martin Endicott; his son and daughter-in-law, Mason and Autumn Upshaw; his son, Jake Upshaw; his granddaughter, Isla; his mother, Robbie Upshaw; his brother and sister-in-law, Charles and Maria Upshaw; his sisters and their husbands, Elizabeth and Sam Chambliss, Carol and Scott Swayze, and Ellen and Sandy Allison; and many beloved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Charles Calvin Upshaw.
A service to honor John's life will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, November 9, at The Church of The Apostles in Atlanta, with a reception to follow at the church.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Pisgah Legal Services, P.O. Box 2276, Asheville, NC 28802, or online at pisgahlegal.org.
Groce Funeral Home on Patton Ave. is assisting the family.
~ IN MEMORY ~
USAF veteran, DL Capt. Charles Kirkman Hanner III
April 22, 1949 - October 29, 2026
It is with great sorrow that we announce the sudden passing of Charles Kirkman Hanner, III, aged 77, of Morganton, Georgia ........................
Charles "Chuck" Hanner joined Delta Air Line 07-11-1991 and retired with Delta in 2005. He is survived by his wife Allison, and by his two sons and their families, and by his stepchildren and their families.
Please see obituary below for services and arrangements.
https://www.mountainviewfuneralhome.com/obituary/charles-hanner-iii
Charles Kirkman Hanner, III (Lieutenant Colonel Chuck Hanner)
It is with great sorrow that we announce the sudden passing of Charles Kirkman Hanner, III, aged 77, of Morganton, Georgia on October 29, 2026. Chuck will be greatly missed and remembered by the many lives he touched. He was a man of remarkable warmth, wit and kindness, whose life was uniquely blessed by two happy marriages and an abundance of love.
Born on April 22, 1949 in Fort Dix, New Jersey, he was the firstborn child of Colonel Charles Kirkman Hanner, Jr. and Phyllis (Cole) Hanner. Being an “Air Force Brat” he lived in many locations throughout his childhood. He met his first wife, Jeanie Douglas Hanner when he was a student at Florida State University. They married on October 16, 1971, and shared 25 years of marriage until her passing in 1996, raising two wonderful sons, Chad and Chase.
A few years later, Chuck met and married Allison Christian Hanner, and they were blessed with 26 years of marriage. Chuck is predeceased by his parents, Charles K. Hanner, Jr. and Phyllis C. Hanner, and his first wife, Jeanie Douglas Hanner. He is survived by his second wife, Allison Christian Hanner, his two sons, Chad Hanner (Venera) and Chase Hanner (Angela), his stepson Richard Clive (Yang), his stepdaughter, Loren Clive, granddaughters Bailey Hanner, Addison Hanner, Delilah Baggs, Rachel Clive, and Ysabel Clive and grandsons Colton Hanner, Gabriel Hanner, and Dion Bejtullahu, his brother, Cole Hanner (Pamela), his sister, Marsha Hanner Gainey (Keith), and various nieces, nephews, cousins, and numerous friends.
Chuck graduated from McLean High School in 1967, attended Florida State University and graduated in 1971. He subsequently embarked on a 20 year military career where he served as an officer in the USAF and as an F16 fighter pilot.
After retiring from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1991, he was a pilot with Delta Airlines and an instructor in the Delta Airlines Training Department until 2005. Subsequently, he was employed by Netjets, Inc. as Director of Training and Chief Pilot on the Boeing Business Jet from 2005 until 2015. He retired from the airline industry and moved to the North Georgia Mountains where he resided for the remainder of his life.
Mr. Hanner was an avid reader and had many hobbies and interests including traveling, motorcycle riding, photography, swimming, shooting, and woodturning. He was a member of the Union County Gun Club and the Chatuge Gun Club in Towns County, where he won numerous rifle competitions.
Chuck and his wife, Allison enjoyed traveling and socializing with their many friends in their Blue Ridge Mountain community.
A memorial service will be held on Monday, November 9th, 2026 at the First United Methodist Church of Union County (938 GA-515 W, Blairsville, GA 30512). Visitation will be at the church at 2:00 pm and the service will begin at 3:00 in the main sanctuary. It will be followed by a reception in Chuck’s honor at the home of Gary and Sherry Luoma in Hightop Mountains Estates. The family requests memorial donations be made to Wounded Warriors Project or Tunnel to Towers Foundation. support.woundedwarriorproject.org or T2T.org
Mountain View Funeral Home of Blairsville is in charge of the arrangements. You may share your thoughts and condolences online at mountainviewfuneralhome.com
