Air Medical Memorial
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About Us

The Air Medical Memorial, a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was started in 2009 to honor air medical flight crew members who lost their lives in the line of duty.

The AMM collects air medical accident information from a number of sources and conducts research in an effort to create a complete and accurate list of honorees. We encourage individuals who wish to submit additional information or corrections to use our online research form or use the contact information provided below.

Ultimately, the information collected here will be used to create an outdoor memorial. To learn more about the memorial, you can download our Information Presentation using the link below and visit our support page to find out how you can help by making a tax-deductible donation today.

Information Presentation and Location Map

Air Medical Memorial Information Presentation PDF   Air Medical Memorial Map and Directions PDF

Officers

Kevin Sweeney

Steven A. Sweeney
Founder and Board Chair
ssweeney@airmedicalmemorial.com

Steven founded the Air Medical Memorial with his brother Kevin in January, 2009. The Sweeney brothers grew up around the Flight For Life program in Denver and watched the industry grow from its infancy in 1972. Steven works as a Marketing and Creative Director in the Denver metropolitan area. Early in his career, he worked as Investor Relations Manager at Air Methods in Englewood, Colorado.

In 1994, Kevin and Steven lost a friend, Sandy Sigman, when she and pilot Gary McCall went down on Huron Peak in Colorado. A few months earlier, Steven was acting as a flight coordinator at Air Methods when an AirCare helicopter went down in Bluefield, West Virginia killing Anthony Barbee, Karen Canada, Donna Eaton and Michael Travison.

 

Kevin Sweeney

Kevin Sweeney
Board Vice Chair
ksweeney@airmedicalmemorial.com

Kevin grew up being amazed by what helicopters were able to do. This extended to an appreciation for what the crews on medical missions were doing to help others and he was lucky enough to work for AirLife Denver for 9 years. He was also transported by Flight for Life Colorado and flight nurse Sandy Sigman after a climbing accident near Gross Reservoir, west of Denver.

Currently, Kevin works for South Metro Fire Rescue Authority in Centennial, Colorado and dedicates his efforts on the Air Medical Memorial board to two friends lost in air medical accidents, Sandy Sigman and Leslie Feldmann.

 

Keith Johnson

Keith M. Johnson
Secretary and Treasurer
kjohnson@airmedicalmemorial.com

Keith joined the Air Medical Memorial in mid-2009. Keith is a materials management professional in the Rockford, IL area. He is a member of APICS – the Association for Operations Management, and serves on their Board of Directors as the Great Lakes District Director.

In 2008, Keith was a patient aboard LifeLine Helicopter from St. Anthony Medical Center after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. He came through his surgery successfully and was released 8 days later. Three days after his release, his brother-in-law was killed on MedFlight from the UW Hospital and Clinics after successfully transporting their patient. All three crew members, Dr. Darren Bean, Mark Coyne, RN, and pilot Steve Lipperer were killed when their MedFlight helicopter went down near LaCrosse, WI.

 

Maruy Ann Melville

Mary Ann Melville
Honoree Officer and Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS) Liaison
mmelville@airmedicalmemorial.com

Mary Ann has been an active member in the Air Medical industry for more than 20 years. She was a Flight Paramedic at MedSTAR in Washington, DC from 1988-1997. Mary Ann was the first woman elected to the volunteer Board of Directors of the International Association of Flight Paramedics (formerly NFPA) in 1993 and served on several committees during her 3 year tenure. She was a Conference Director for the annual Spring Clinical Care Conference in Washington, DC and a presenter at the National EMS Memorial Service in Roanoke, VA.

Mary Ann left Washington Hospital Center in 2007 and moved home to NJ after 21 years in the nation's capitol. She has many friends across the country and around the world who remain actively involved in fixed wing and helicopter EMS. "I am thrilled to be involved in honoring the Air Medical Crew members who have given their lives in service of their communities. This group is going to get this done & I am thankful to be a part of that." - Mary Ann

 

Suzanne Ryan

Suzanne Ryan
Fundraising / Special Events Officer
sryan@airmedicalmemorial.com

Suzanne began her career in emergency services in 1980 working in communications for the Longmont Colorado Police/Fire then for the Boulder Regional Communications Center for many years prior to her start with Flight For Life Colorado in 1997. She worked for REACH Air Ambulance in Northern California before returning to Flight For Life in 2001 where she is still employed. Suzanne is also the co-founder of Air Ambulance Safety, LLC, a company that specializes in education and consulting for the air medical community.

Suzanne has lost many personal friends to air medical tragedies. Pete Abplanalp, Beth Barber and Leslie Feldmann from Airlife Denver in December 1997, Dave Linnear, Tim Benway and Jennifer Wells from Yampa Valley Air Ambulance in January 2005 and Art Gotisar, Kelly Bates and Diane Codding from REACH in December 2003. Suzanne's desire is to help create this memorial so our friends and colleagues will forever be remembered for their dedication and sacrifice.

 

Alexandra Farnsworth

Alexandra Farnsworth
International Association of Flight Paramedics (IAFP) Liaison
afarnsworth@airmedicalmemorial.com

Alex is the IAFP Hawaii State Delegate and is a flight paramedic with Priority 1 Air Rescue. While working as a flight paramedic at Hawaii Air Ambulance Alex experienced the loss of six friends and fellow crewmembers. On January 31, 2004 pilot Ron Laubacher and flight paramedics Mandy Shiraki and J. Daniel Villiaros departed O’ahu for what would be their final mission.  The missing aircraft was located on February 2, 2004 on the island of Hawaii with no survivors.  On March 8, 2006 pilot Peter Miller, flight nurse Brien Eisaman and flight paramedic Marlena Yomes suffered a fatal accident on the island of Maui.

 

Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association (ASTNA) Liaison - (open)
Association of Air Medical Physicians (AMPA) Liaison - (open)
National Association of Air Medical Communications Specialists (NAACS) Liaison - (open)
National EMS Pilots Association (NEMSPA) Liaison- (open)

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Contact Us

Air Medical Memorial
PO Box 842
Castle Rock, CO 80104
303.332.6327
info@airmedicalmemorial.com

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