Capt. Jeff Kuss' remains come home to Durango

Saturday, Jun 11, 2016 2:52 PM Updated Monday, Jun. 13, 2016 10:01 AM

Janet Kuss, mother of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss, arrives with her family and her son's remains at the Durango-La Plata County Airport on Friday afternoon. Kuss, a Blue Angel pilot who flew No. 6, died June 2 during a training exercise in Smyrna, Tennessee. A motorcade, private memorial service and public reception will be held today.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Family members of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss carry his remains out of the plane on Friday afternoon at Durango-La Plata County Airport. Kuss, a Blue Angels pilot and Durango native, died June 2 when he was flying his plane in Tennessee practicing for an airshow. "He was way more than a pilot," his mother, Janet Kuss, said. "He was humble, humorous and handsome."

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Family members of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss carry his remains out of the C-130 Hercules transport plane Friday afternoon at the Durango-La Plata County Airport. Kuss, a Blue Angels pilot and a Durango native, died June 2 when he was flying his plane in Tennessee.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Family members of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss carry his remains out of the plane on Friday afternoon at Durango-La Plata County Airport. Kuss, a Blue Angels pilot and Durango native, died June 2 when he was flying his plane in Tennessee. The public is encouraged to line the motorcade route Saturday morning as family and friends travel to Greenmount Cemetery for a private service.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

The family of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss arrives at the Durango-La Plata County Airport Friday afternoon. Photo by Luke Perkins/Durango Herald

Police, firefighters, airport personnel and Marines await the arrival of the remains of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss at the Durango-La Plata County Airport on Friday afternoon. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Military personnel await the arrival Friday afternoon of the remains of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss at the Durango-La Plata County Airport. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Airport personnel, police, firefighters and Marines at the Durango-La Plata County Airport to welcome Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss home. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald

Memorial bracelets were made in honor of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss, a Durango native. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald

The Kuss family prepares to leave the Durango-La Plata Airport Friday afternoon with the remains of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss, who died in a jet crash last week during a Blue Angels practice flight. Photo by Luke Perkins/Durango Herald

Military personnel prepare for the arrival Friday afternoon of the remains of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss at the Durango-La Plata County Airport. Photo by Luke Perkins/Durango Herald

U.S. Marines stand outside a Blue Angels carrier on Friday afternoon to escort the remains of Blue Angels pilot and Capt. Jeff Kuss, a Durango native who died June 2 when he was flying his plane in Tennessee. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

U.S. Marine Corps Honor Guard await the arrival of family members of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss and his remains in a C140 Blue Angles plane as it taxies at Durango-La Plata County Airport on Friday afternoon. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

A U.S. Marine Corps Honor Guard stands behind the plane that carried the remains of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss from Pensacola, Florida, home to Durango on Friday. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald

A Blue Angels transport plane arrives with Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss’ remains on Friday afternoon at Durango-La Plata County Airport. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

An escort was provided for family members of the late Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss as they leave the Durango-La Plata County Airport on Friday. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

A Blue Angels transport plane carrying family members of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss and his remains arrives at the Durango-La Plata County Airport on Friday afternoon. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Christina Kuss, the widow of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss, and their children Calvin, 4, and Sloane, 1, thank the Blue Angels crew that flew her husband’s remains and family members to the Durango-La Plata County Airport on Friday. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Family members of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss carry his ashes out of the plane on Friday afternoon at Durango-La Plata County Airport. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

The Durango-La Plata County Airport was hot, dry, windy and solemn Friday afternoon as Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss' family and his remains came home to Durango.

Kuss, 32, died in a plane crash June 2 while he was training with his unit, the elite Blue Angels, for an airshow in Tennessee. He was a Durango native, graduating from Durango High School in 2002 and Fort Lewis College in 2006.

"Here's a guy who is a legitimate hero to the whole state," Gov. John Hickenlooper said Friday afternoon. "He went to Fort Lewis. They told him, 'Well, we're not sure that's the right school if you want to be a pilot.' He said, 'I don't care. I want to go to Fort Lewis. I want to be a pilot. I want to do both.' The guy clearly had focus."

Hickenlooper ordered flags at all public buildings statewide to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset Saturday to honor Kuss on the day of his service.

Kuss' commanding officer, Cmdr. Ryan Bernacchi, lauded his fellow pilot at a short news conference late Friday afternoon.

"Jeff Kuss was, without a doubt, one of the finest Americans this country can produce," he said. "Jeff was a product of Durango, he is Durango's son."

Earlier Friday, a chartered 737 brought in Marines and the members of the Blue Angels, including the honor guard that greeted Kuss' arrival in the Blue Angels' C-130 Hercules transport plane. Normally known as "Fat Albert," the C-130 was rechristened No. 6, Kuss' flight designation, for this week.

His mother, Janet Kuss, stood in a hatch at the top of No. 6 with a U.S. flag as the plane taxied to the apron. As the plane came to a stop, the pilots simultaneously stopped the four propellers in the same cross-shape.

The color guard stood at attention until the family left. Christina Ferrarese Kuss, the captain's wife and who is also from Durango, took time to thank members of the color guard and the plane's pilots for bringing her husband and her family home.

Jeff Perino, who is married to Christina Kuss' sister Nicole, was one of several people wearing a blue wristband remembering Capt. Jeff "Kooch" Kuss and No. 6.

The arrival was purposefully kept small and low key. But that didn't stop people from honoring their passage as they left the airport.

"As a veteran, I want to honor him if I can," said Bobby Phillips, who served in the Navy during the Vietnam War. He drove from Farmington to the main terminal at the airport and plans to return Saturday for the motorcade route. "As long as they have served their country, they deserve respect."

Poles around the airport were decorated with blue and yellow ribbons - the colors of both the Blue Angels and Fort Lewis College - and American flags.

Periodically along the way, an individual or group stood silently by the road, including a group of veterans from Bayfield "with one Durangoan sprinkled in," he said.

One more event has been added to the calendar of the weekend's remembrances of Jeff Kuss - one that residents can participate in from home. Grammy-winning sound engineer Tom MacCluskey, 84, who was a Navy pilot and announced for the Blue Angels during the 1950s, will dedicate part of his Sunday morning Mostly Classical radio show from 9 a.m. to noon on KDUR-FM public radio (91.9 and 93.9) to Kuss, particularly during the 10 a.m. hour.

Blue Angels Press Statement (PDF)

To donate

There are several ways to support Kuss family members as they bring Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss home this weekend. They would prefer these options to flowers:

A GoFundMe site was set up to benefit the family of Kuss, a Durango native. The fundraiser was set up by Kuss' sister-in-law, Nicole Perino. By Friday evening, more than 3,900 donors had contributed more than $330,000 toward the goal of $500,000. To donate, visit

www.gofundme.com/jeffkuss.

The International Council of Air Shows established a fund for the family, according to its website. The organization provides financial assistance to members of the air show community after a death or other catastrophe. Donors may contribute to the Capt. Jeff Kuss Foundation at

www.icasfoundation.org

A separate fund was created to help defray expenses related to Kuss' memorial service in Durango and the public reception Saturday afternoon. Donations to the Jeff Kuss Memorial Fund may be made at the Bank of the San Juans/Division of Glacier Bank, 144 E. Eighth St., Durango, CO 81301.

The Jeff Kuss Memorial Scholarship was founded by the family through the

Fort Lewis College Foundation

to help veterans earn a college degrees. Donations may be made at

https://apps.fortlewis.edu/makeagift

The

Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation

set up the Captain Jeff 'Kooch' Kuss USMC Memorial Scholarship and will accept donations to help the children of fallen Marine or Navy corpsmen pay for post-high school education. Donations may be made to the foundation's

Heroes Tribute Scholarship Program

, which has committed up to $30,000 for Kuss' children, Calvin, 4, and Sloane, 1, when they reach college age.