Bruce R. Kennedy
- June 28, 2007
- 68 years
- plane crash
About Bruce R. Kennedy
Bruce R. Kennedy, 68, American businessman, former chairman and CEO of Alaska Airlines, plane crash.
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Full Biography
|Bruce R. Kennedy (October 11, 1938 – June 28, 2007) was an American businessman best known for his work as chief executive officer of Alaska Airlines between 1979 and 1991, where he presided over the expansion of the airline. He retired in the early 1990s to do humanitarian work before his death in 2007; he also served as a national leader in his church.
Early life and career
Born in Denver, Colorado, Kennedy moved to Alaska as a teenager and graduated from the University of Alaska in 1963. Following graduation, Kennedy served as an artillery officer in the U.S. Army at Fort Wainwright near Fairbanks, where he met his wife Karleen. He later entered the real estate business before his company acquired Alaska Airlines when it was nearly bankrupt in 1972.
Alaska Airlines
Kennedy became the CEO of Alaska Airlines in 1979. Annual revenue for the airline grew from $234.5 million in 1982 to $1.1 billion in 1991. He was largely responsible for the airline developing two routes to southern California, Russia, and Mexico. As well, he fostered the development of subsidiary Horizon Air.
Humanitarian work
Kennedy retired in 1991 to undertake humanitarian work, and traveled to China to teach English and sheltered refugees in his house. He was the chairman of Quest Aircraft, which made aircraft for dangerous and remote locations and served on the boards of Christian organisations. He also served on the board of Alaska Air which was now based in Washington where he lived.
Leadership in the Presbyterian Church
Kennedy was a member of the General Assembly Council of the Presbyterian Church from 1993 to 1999. He was an elder in John Knox Church in Seattle at the time of his death.
Death
Kennedy died in a private plane crash in central Washington, near Wenatchee, while arriving from Montana to visit his grandchildren. He was piloting his single-engine Cessna 182 without passengers when it crashed short of the runway in Cashmere.
The NTSB accident report determined that a wing clipped a group of pine trees while low on approach; sun glare was a contributing factor as the airplane was heading due west late in the day in early summer.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Articles & News
- "Bruce R. Kennedy, 68; Alaska Airlines leader gave up his job to do humanitarian work"latimes.com
- Obituarylegacy.com
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_R._Kennedy
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 15 questions
Questions drawn from Bruce R. Kennedy's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what city was Bruce R. Kennedy born?
- A.Wenatchee, Washington
- B.Denver, Coloradocorrect
- C.Fairbanks, Alaska
- D.Seattle, Washington
Bruce R. Kennedy was born in Denver, Colorado.
Source: Early life and career section
2.In what year did Bruce R. Kennedy graduate from the University of Alaska?
- A.1979
- B.1972
- C.1991
- D.1963correct
Bruce R. Kennedy graduated from the University of Alaska in 1963.
Source: Early life and career section
3.What role did Bruce R. Kennedy hold in the U.S. Army while stationed at Fort Wainwright?
- A.Artillery officercorrect
- B.Medical officer
- C.Logistics officer
- D.Communications officer
Following graduation, Bruce R. Kennedy served as an artillery officer in the U.S. Army at Fort Wainwright.
Source: Early life and career section
4.What was the name of the woman Bruce R. Kennedy met while serving in the U.S. Army?
- A.Karleencorrect
- B.Karen
- C.Catherine
- D.Christine
Bruce R. Kennedy met his wife Karleen while serving as an artillery officer at Fort Wainwright.
Source: Early life and career section
5.In what business sector did Bruce R. Kennedy work before his company acquired Alaska Airlines?
- A.Banking
- B.Aviation manufacturing
- C.Real estatecorrect
- D.Retail trade
Bruce R. Kennedy entered the real estate business before his company acquired Alaska Airlines in 1972.
Source: Early life and career section
6.What year did Bruce R. Kennedy become the CEO of Alaska Airlines?
- A.1982
- B.1991
- C.1979correct
- D.1972
Bruce R. Kennedy became the CEO of Alaska Airlines in 1979.
Source: Alaska Airlines section
7.What was the annual revenue of Alaska Airlines in 1982 under Bruce R. Kennedy's leadership?
- A.$234.5 millioncorrect
- B.$500 million
- C.$75 million
- D.$1.1 billion
Annual revenue for the airline grew from $234.5 million in 1982 to $1.1 billion in 1991.
Source: Alaska Airlines section
8.Which airline subsidiary was developed during Bruce R. Kennedy's time at Alaska Airlines?
- A.Pacific Air
- B.Horizon Aircorrect
- C.Northern Skies
- D.Summit Aviation
Bruce R. Kennedy fostered the development of subsidiary Horizon Air.
Source: Alaska Airlines section
9.After retiring from Alaska Airlines in 1991, to which country did Bruce R. Kennedy travel to teach English?
- A.Mexico
- B.Chinacorrect
- C.Russia
- D.Japan
Bruce R. Kennedy retired in 1991 to undertake humanitarian work and traveled to China to teach English.
Source: Humanitarian work section
10.What was the function of the aircraft produced by Quest Aircraft, where Bruce R. Kennedy served as chairman?
- A.Luxury long-haul travel
- B.Agricultural spraying
- C.Military transport
- D.Dangerous and remote locationscorrect
Bruce R. Kennedy was the chairman of Quest Aircraft, which made aircraft for dangerous and remote locations.
Source: Humanitarian work section
11.At which church was Bruce R. Kennedy an elder at the time of his death?
- A.First Church of Seattle
- B.St. Andrews Church
- C.Presbyterian Central
- D.John Knox Churchcorrect
Bruce R. Kennedy was an elder in John Knox Church in Seattle at the time of his death.
Source: Leadership in the Presbyterian Church section
12.What type of aircraft was Bruce R. Kennedy piloting at the time of his death?
- A.Beechcraft Bonanza
- B.Piper Cub
- C.Cessna 182correct
- D.Cessna 172
Bruce R. Kennedy was piloting his single-engine Cessna 182 when it crashed.
Source: Death section
13.Near which city did Bruce R. Kennedy die in a plane crash?
- A.Wenatcheecorrect
- B.Seattle
- C.Denver
- D.Fairbanks
Bruce R. Kennedy died in a private plane crash in central Washington, near Wenatchee.
Source: Death section
14.According to the NTSB, what was a contributing factor to the plane crash involving Bruce R. Kennedy?
- A.Heavy rain
- B.Sun glarecorrect
- C.Engine failure
- D.Mechanical sabotage
The NTSB accident report determined that sun glare was a contributing factor to the crash.
Source: Death section
15.What was Bruce R. Kennedy's age at the time of his death in 2007?
- A.68correct
- B.72
- C.65
- D.70
Bruce R. Kennedy was 68 years old at the time of his death.
Source: Biography introduction
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