Ted Stevens - Death and Legacy

Death and Legacy

On August 9, 2010, Stevens, along with seven other passengers including former NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe, were in a plane crash about 17 miles north of Dillingham, Alaska, while en route to a private fishing lodge. Dave Dittman, a friend of Stevens, first reported that he had been told that Stevens had died in the incident, but later released a statement saying "that has not been confirmed." Stevens was confirmed dead in the crash via a statement from his family. He and others were aboard a single-engine Turbo Otter, a DeHavilland DH3T reportedly registered to Anchorage-based GCI Communication. As Stevens's death was confirmed, Alaskan and national political figures from all sides of the political spectrum spoke highly of the man many Alaskans knew as "Uncle Ted." Senator Lisa Murkowski said of Stevens: "His entire life was dedicated to public service — from his days as a pilot in World War II to his four decades of service in the United States Senate. He truly was the greatest of the 'Greatest Generation.'" The Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor honored Stevens with a plaque and a display of memorabilia of his wartime service in China-Burma-India. Senator Mark Begich stated, "Over his four decades of public service in the U.S. Senate, Senator Stevens was a forceful advocate for Alaska who helped transform our state in the challenging years after Statehood" and former president George H. W. Bush released a statement that "Ted Stevens loved the Senate; he loved Alaska; and he loved his family — and he will be dearly missed."