Kenneth L Hepner

The world lost an amazing man on April 23, 2018. Kenneth L. Hepner passed away after a short illness. Ken was born in Bend, Oregon on August 5, 1930. He was a pioneer in business aviation flying the first corporate Learjet in Salt Lake City in 1968. He married Barbara Barlow in 1974 whom he met while they both flew for Jelco, Inc. and shared his love of flying.  In the late 70’s he and his wife Barbara founded and operated Barken International, a private aviation jet charter company. Ken’s passion was his love of teaching and changing the trajectory of many young pilots. He spent countless hours training young pilots into very successful people. Ken was awarded the most prestigious FAA Master Pilot Award for over 50 years of accident free flying. Ken loved his wife "Barbie" and all his children beyond belief along with his puppies, Katie and Cami. He was preceded in death by his parents Raymond and Laura Hepner, his siblings, his son Kelley Robert Hepner and his daughter Lori Rex.  Ken is survived by his wife Barbara Hepner, and children Kathy Rae Smith, Constance Elaine Buckley, Trudy (Javier) Guerricabeitia, Kevin (Michelle) Ames, Kenneth R. (Lori) Hepner, Jodee (Bret) Morgan, Cory (Pam) Barlow and Rod (Jamie) Barlow and seventeen grand-children, twenty four great grand-children and one great-great grand child.

Kenneth L. Hepner

Pilot extraordinaire
Entrepreneur
Airport manager
Business owner
Flight instructor
Crop duster
Aerial attach forest fire fighter
Adventurer
Wannabe cowboy
Six Shooter quick draw and sharp shooter
Patriot
Photographer
“Cheater of death”, many times throughout his career
Mentor

Dad raised three families but in reality, he treated everyone like family and was a father to many more than just his bloodline. He loved reading and talking about politics. Many of us remember the time spent around the dinner table discussing current events. He loved history. He was lover of all things Christmas.

Ken changed the trajectory of many people's lives. Not just family but the people he worked for and the people that worked for him.

Things his children learned from him:

Hard work/never give 100% when you can give more.

The confidence in ourselves to resolve any problem or situation that comes our way and to face our fears head on.

Knew heartbreak but rarely showed it or let it defeat him:

Lost a beloved son, Kelly, at the age of 13 to Cystic Fibrosis.

Lost his daughter, Laura Lee, to kidney disease at (57?).

Lost many co-workers and friends in aircraft accidents.

Things we will remember most about him:

He was well loved and respected the whole of his life.

He loved his job as a pilot and never had a moment where he doubted his skills or abilities in an airplane (the plane was just an extension of himself).

He lived his life with integrity and courage.

P.S. – that is not to say he didn't have a temper and most of us felt his wrath at one time or another. But, I believe, it came from a place of wanting us to do better and expecting our best effort.

Kenneth L. Hepner, pioneer in the aviation industry. From humble beginnings in Bend, OR working in his father’s sawmill to owning and operating a successful private jet charter company. As a young man eager to own his own airplane, he traded a prized hunting rifle as a down payment on his first airplane. His career was varied, arguably one of the best flight instructors in the business, no matter who he was instructing, he was able to identify and correct flying skills in very short order. An hour of flight instruction with Ken was equivalent to ten hours with even the best instructors. Ken managed the Madras, Oregon airport and was a advocate for the aviation industry promoting opportunities in aviation and made a difference in many people’s lives in that small town.

Ken loved to fly, he spent countless hours crop dusting. He told a story when flying at the end of the day, the hopper in front of the open cockpit came open and the Sulphur dust got in his eyes. Blinded by the Sulphur, he cheated death and managed to land the airplane by landing into the setting sun on an open road.

One of Ken’s passions was flying the  Grumman TBM as an attack fire fighter around the western United States, this came with the opportunity to live in the wilderness for months at a time, living a life many dream of. Ken made a set of snow skis for his Piper Super Cub and landed on the glacier of Mt. Hood. Ken had countless stories, he remembered them with such clarity as if it happened yesterday. Ironically, this last days his mind was tormented that he couldn’t remember what he had for breakfast, but this terrible disease could not take away his memories of a life of adventure, heartbreak and happiness.

Ken was passionate about making a difference in this world, he lived a life that would leave a mark and we will miss him very much!