Kenneth Curtiss Ewing
Kenneth Curtiss (Hap) Ewing embarked on his homegoing Friday, November 28th. He was born in Sioux
Falls on February 25, 1931, the son of Kenneth J. Ewing and Evelyn (Garver) Ewing. He grew up here
with his brother and sister, where he attended local grade schools and graduated from Washington High in
1949.
Coming of age in the shadow of the Korean War, he completed a year at Miami University in Ohio and
some classes at Augustana before enlisting in the Air Force in late 1951. Within a few months he entered pilot training
and got his wings in May, 1953. Graduating high enough to get a fighter assignment, he went to F-86 (Saberjet) gunnery
school at Nellis AFB, Nevada. There followed assignments flying the F-86 at Geiger Field, Washington, Kimpo Air Base
in Korea, and George AFB, California.
In 1956 he departed the Air Force and went into training with United Air Lines in Denver and joined the Wyoming
National Guard. He served the usual airline apprenticeships as flight engineer and co-pilot, all the while flying on
weekends with the Guard and finishing his bachelor's degree at the University of Denver. He made captain in 1967 and,
with the exception of some time instructing in United's Training Center, he flew as captain until his retirement from UAL
in 1991.
In his first year with United, he met a stewardess, Fay Johnson. They were married in December, 1957, and a year later
they bought their first home. Their first-born, Thomas, arrived in September, 1959, and tragically was taken away just
after Christmas. The pain of that loss receded with the birth of Richard in January, 1961. Soon afterward the family
moved to Illinois, where Ken flew out of Chicago for several years. A girl came in 1962 with Nancy's birth, and Robert
joined them in 1969. In 1977, he took them all back to Denver, where he finished his career.
He was predeceased by infant son, Tommy, and Fay. Grateful for the time they had with him are his children, Dick,
Denton, TX, Nancy, Lakeland, CO and Bob, Highlands Ranch, CO; four granddaughters, Kathryn Ewing, Jordan (Ewing)
Berdialis, Savanna Ewing, and Taylor Ewing; brother Charles, Williamsburg, VA; and sister Marge Kirby, Denton, TX.
Life goes on for his family and his many friends, and each new day dawns as a gift. We cherish them all, but it will never
be as good as it was when Hap Ewing was here.