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___ PCN FLIGHT WEST is sponsored by the Pilot Communication Network and is a service of the PCN provided for the Delta Pilot Retired family of pilot groups. Flight West was started and is maintained to accomplish two main goals. After we become aware of a colleague who has Flown West, 1. We aim to produce a “timely” notice sent to our community that allows for support and interaction from our group toward the grieving family of our friend and colleague. 2. Then, we aim to “archive” that notice on our Flown West Blogspot as a lasting accessible place of Dignity and Honor of our colleague for family legacy and posterity. Contributor contact info is generally removed before posting (unless requested otherwise).

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Wednesday, May 14, 2025

PAA/DL Capt. Kenneth Barclay Ruhm

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

USAF, PAA/DL Capt. Kenneth Barclay Ruhm

July 28, 1934 ~ May 12, 2025



Ken Ruhm, of Holderness and Heritage Heights in Concord NH, passed away peacefully in his sleep on May 12th, after an extraordinary 90 years of life. He is survived by his beloved wife of 61 years, Nancy.  Ken joined Pan Am 06-19-1967 and retired with Delta Air Lines based in New York.

PCN memorial site  

 

https://obits.csnh.com/kenneth-ruhm  

 

Kenneth Barclay Ruhm

Ken Ruhm, of Holderness and Heritage Heights in Concord, New Hampshire, passed away peacefully in his sleep on May 12th, after an extraordinary 90 years of life. He is survived by his beloved wife of 61 years, Nancy.

 

Born in Utica, New York, in 1934, Ken was the elder of two sons of Kenneth and Ruth Ruhm. He grew up in Herkimer, New York, and graduated from the University of Rochester in 1955, where he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force.

 

After completing Undergraduate Pilot Training in 1958, Ken served multiple tours as an instructor pilot at Webb AFB in Big Spring, Texas, and Williams AFB in Chandler, Arizona, training students in the T-6, T-33, and T-38 aircraft. It was during his assignment to Williams AFB in 1963 that he met Nancy and her two young sons, Michael and Robert, who would become his own. Ken and Nancy were married in Herkimer, NY, in December 1963 and welcomed their third son, Brian, in April 1965.

 

Shortly afterward, Ken deployed to Vietnam, where he flew nearly 300 combat missions in the Douglas A-1E Skyraider and served alongside Medal of Honor recipient Major Bernie Fisher. For his courage and distinguished service, Ken was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

 

Following his return from Vietnam, Ken left active duty and began a civilian aviation career with Pan American Airways, relocating to San Francisco. There, he and Nancy welcomed their fourth son, Steven, in December 1968. In 1972, Ken transferred to Boston and settled in Holderness, New Hampshire, where he would spend nearly all of his remaining years.

 

When furloughed by Pan Am in 1976, Ken chose to stay in New Hampshire to raise his family, even though it meant stepping away from commercial flying. During this time, he pursued an MBA and worked for the Holderness School and several regional airlines, including Winnipesaukee and Precision Airlines. He was recalled by Pan Am in 1985 and later joined Delta Air Lines, retiring in 1996.

 

Ken remained active in retirement, ski racing, cycling, traveling, volunteering, and spending as much time as possible with his children and grandchildren. He and Nancy were active in the Waterville Valley “Silver Streaks” ski program, and Ken continued racing into his seventies. Together, they skied in Courchevel, France; biked through Germany, Italy, and Vietnam; and cruised to Greece, Alaska and England. Ken volunteered with the Squam Lakes Association as a water quality sampler and was a vital part of the team that harvested and split firewood to heat the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center. One of Ken’s greatest joys was his role as “Pop Pop” to his grandchildren. For more than a decade, he and Nancy hosted “Camp Gamma and Pop Pop,” creating cherished memories for their family.

 

Ken is survived by his wife Nancy, his four devoted sons — Michael, Robert, Brian, and Steven — seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

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