A 70-year-old Kent man, the pilot of a small plane that crashed Jan. 20 in a clear-cut field in Poulsbo, has died.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Kent Curtiss died on Feb. 7 at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with his family by his side. He had been in critical condition in the hospital’s intensive care unit since the crash; his wife and daughter said he succumbed to complications from his injuries.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Engine failure is believed to be the cause of the crash, his wife said. Curtiss was alone on the plane.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
A memorial for Curtiss is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, March 1, at Edline-Yahn & Covington Funeral Chapel, 27221 156th Ave. SE, Kent.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Curtiss will be interred at Tahoma National Cemetery at a later date with a private family gathering.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
According to his obituary on the funeral chapel website, Curtiss, a native of Michigan, played football at Central Michigan University and graduated with a degree in math and physics. He served in the U.S. Air Force, then worked as a computer systems analyst at Boeing until his retirement in 2000.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
He began his lifelong passion for flying in 1963 when he received his single-engine private pilot license. In the 1970s, he earned his single-engine commercial and flight instructor ratings and in the 1980s earned his instrument rating.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
His family and friends enjoyed many cross-country adventures with him; highlights included flights to Cayman Islands and Alaska.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Curtiss is survived by his wife, daughter, son, grandson, granddaughter, step-granddaughter, sister and brother.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his memory to Angel Flight West (https:\/\/afids.angelflightwest.org\/donation\/donationEntry<\/a>) or Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (https:\/\/secure.seattlecca.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n