~ IN MEMORY ~
USAF veteran, DL F/O Thomas Edward Kana
December 31, 1955 ~ March 27, 2020
Notification with the passing of retired Delta pilot F/O Thomas
Edward Kana, age 64. Thomas joined Delta
Air Lines 12-02-1999 and was based LAX. He is survived by his wife Susan, his
daughters and his siblings.
Obituary may be viewed online and share your memories at
Obituary information is also available for viewing at
For those wishing to send a personal note, whitepages lists
the family residence as
4899 Turning Leaf Way,
Colorado Springs, CO 80922.
Thank you,
~ Carol for the PCN
Obituary……………. Thomas E. Kana passed away peacefully on
March 27, 2020 at the St. Francis Medical Center in Colorado Springs, CO. He
was 64. Tom was born at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady, NY on December 31, 1955
the son of the late Doreen C. Kana and Charles H. Kana of Coburg Village,
Rexford, NY.
Tom's family lived in Glenville and Tom's education was in
the Burnt Hills Ballston Lake School District. Tom graduated in the Class of
1974. He was a member of the National Honor Society and played varsity football
and baseball. Tom also played in the Connie Mack Baseball League. He served as
an altar boy at the Church of the lmmaculate Conception and was also a Gazette
delivery boy. ln addition to Tom's love for baseball he treasured those times
on Lake George boating and island tenting with his family. Along with his two
brothers they took pleasure in helping their Grandfather perform the routine
maintenance tasks at "The Camp" at Hulett's Landing, NY.
While pursuing his professional career Tom always cherished
those rare occasions when he could return to Camp for a few days. ln the Spring
of L974 Tom received an appointment to the Air Force Academy from the late
Representative Sam Stratton. Tom entered the Academy in June of 1974 and
graduated with honors in the Class of 1978 and was a proud member of the
baseball team. Tom's basic pilot's training was at Laughlin AFB in Del Rio, TX.
His career path took him to Minot, ND flying B-52's and then to Pease AFB in
New Hampshire flying FB-111's. Each of these assignments were with SAC during
the Cold War Era. At this point in Tom's career he had achieved the rank of
Command Pilot.
On April 16, 1983 Tom married Susan K. Stanton, a resident
of Annapolis, MD. Arrangements were made to have the wedding ceremony performed
at the Naval Academy Chapel, and for one half hour on the 16th, the Chapel was
under siege by former Air Force Academy cadets. A wonderful reception followed
and then it was back to Minot, ND.
ln March 1987 Tom was selected for training at Test Pilot
School in Edward's Air Force Base in California. He graduated in the summer of
1988. He then spent one additional year as an instructor and advisor on the B-2
Stealth bomber Project. During the initial aerial refueling of the B-2 Tom was
the pilot of the KC-10 tanker. His next assignment was at the Air Force Academy
as an instructor in Aeronautical Engineering.
After sixteen years in the Air Force Tom decided to exercise
an option for early retirement. Soon after he accepted a position with
Twentieth Century lnvestments in Kansas City, MO as Director of corporate
flight operations. He held this position for five years and then sought out his
dream of flying commercially. In December 1999 he began with Delta Air Lines
which continued for fifteen years. At the time of his retirement he was First
Officer on 757's and 767' s flying out of LAX. Tom seldom had any idle moments.
He and Sue enjoyed their large acreage in Monument, CO. Tom was a certified
SCUBA diver and had climbed several of the high peaks in Colorado. He enjoyed
the game of golf and tooling around on his John Deere lawn mower. Tom and his
family took several cruises with his in-laws and parents to Alaska, the
Mediterranean, The Scandinavian Countries and the Caribbean. Who could forget
Tom's love and compassion for his two big dogs Abby and Homer. Tom's foremost
passion was reading. He was seldom without a book and sometimes as many as
three. Tom was a true patriot, a scholar, an academic and oh yes, a baseball
player.
ln addition to his father, Tom is survived by his wife Susan
of Colorado Springs, his daughters; Laura of Colorado Springs, daughter Jillian
of Lakewood, CO. his two brothers Dr. Daniel Kana of Bedford, NH, Dr. Stephen
Kana of Spartanburg, SC, his sister Kathleen Lombardo of Newtown Square, PA.
and several nephews and nieces.
Funeral services and burial will be at the Air Force Academy
in the fall. Online condolences may be made at www.jillsonfuneralhome.com
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