Clarence Wayne "C. W." Fortney II, 34, husband of Sarah King Fortney and father of Calvin James Fortney of Lexington, KY lost his life when Comair Flight 5191 went down shortly after take off from Blue Grass Airport on Sunday morning, Aug. 27, 2006. C. W. was the son of Clarence Wayne and Andrea Mastin Fortney of Clay City, KY; the maternal grandson of Marjorie Mastin and the late Cecil "Cleo" Mastin; the paternal grandson of the late Clarence "Cotton" and Ruby Fortney; the nephew of Lorna and her husband David Lee Baker; the son-in-law of Juanita Faye Graham King, the late Circuit Judge James King and Matt Benningfield and the brother-in-law of Attorney Robert Graham King, his wife Christy and their children Aidan Clay and Kelsey King. He graduated in 1989 from Powell County High School and was on the golf team. After graduating from Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in aviation and business, C. W. enjoyed a successful career as a commercial pilot and loved his job flying out of Atlanta as a First Officer for AirTran Airlines. He was a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the National Pilots Association. Arrangements are being handled by Hearne Funeral Home, Inc., 125 W. College Ave., Stanton, KY, where the family will receive friends after 5 p.m., Sat, Sept. 2, 2006. Funeral service will be at 2 p.m., Sun, Sept. 3, 2006 at the Stanton Christian Church Family Life Center, 100 West Church Street, Stanton, KY with Brother David Rule officiating. The concluding service will be in Stanton Cemetery at a later date. Active pallbearers are Robert King, Brian Billings, Eric Deye, Chuck Smith, Dwight Riffe and John Shackelford. Honorary pallbearers are Jim Williams, John Doug Williams, Russell Rockenbach, Steve Hogge, Carmen McKinney, Rick Faulkner, Alesia Ryan, Delisa Cooper, Candrea Mers, Dougie Mastin, Missy Gilbert Potts, Tara Gilbert Wells, Leigh Gilbert McCoy, Suzanna Merion and Darrell Kennon. Memorials may take the form of contributions to C.W. Fortney Memorial Scholarship Fund, C/O Whitaker Bank. P. O. Box 10, Stanton, KY 40380.
Published in the Lexington Herald-Leader on 9/2/2006.