Kenneth Steven Jackson lived a life filled with love, family, friends, and adventure before leukemia took his last bit of energy Nov. 30, 2024. Kenny was born in Colon, Panama, on Feb. 26, 1950, to Donald and Barbara Jackson. He grew up with his four younger siblings, living in Indiana, Georgia, and Los Angeles and Sunnyvale, Calif.

Kenny began his love of cooking in elementary school where he would get kicked out of class and end up in the cafeteria where the cooks quickly put him to work. Before graduating from high school, Kenny was offered a full scholarship to culinary school in Geneva, Switzerland, by the owner of the five-star restaurant he worked for. That spring Kenny saw an ad: “Be a river guide.” Cooking over a campfire after spending his days on a river held more allure than Geneva. 

Kenny instantly developed a passion for whitewater rafting. He was as skilled with the oars as he was with cooking over an open fire and guiding the passengers. The river is also where he met the love of his life, Anne Sebastian. Kenny and Annie were married in 1973 and enjoyed many adventures on rivers throughout their lives together.  

When water levels got low on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, the river trips would start from a small backcountry airstrip 26 miles downriver. This is where Kenny’s love of flying began. Securing his pilot's license in 1988, Kenny bought his first Cessna in 1991. Kenny, usually with Annie navigating, flew many trips into the Frank Church Wilderness, around the Northwest, across the country, once to the Bahamas, and rented planes in Australia and New Zealand. He also flew to NYC as Idaho’s representative for Flight Across America in 2002.

In addition to being a chef, a white water river guide, and a pilot, Kenny was a traveling sporting goods salesman, a bike and ski mechanic, a director for Oregon Trout, an avid fly fisherman, a pilot for Angel Flight, a volunteer for numerous non-profits, an airplane hangar landlord, a partner in a brewery, and the editor of the Idaho Aviation Newsletter.

The most important adventure for Kenny was always family. His greatest joy was being Amber and Rhett’s father and, more recently, Carmen, Devin, and Martin’s grandfather. When Carmen was born, Kenny said, “This changes everything.” And it did. Kenny and Annie left their beloved Sandpoint friends and moved to Hillsboro, Ore., to be close.

In 2019, Kenny and Annie purchased 34 acres of trees and meadows 14 miles from their home. Annie built trails while Kenny ‘farmed’, planting the fields with wildlife forage and a three-acre wildflower meadow for the bees he enjoyed nurturing. Kenny was always passionate about caring for the land.

Kenny left this message for those he knew and loved: “It has been my honor and privilege to have known you in this life. I will look forward to seeing you in the eddy at the bottom of the falls.“

Anyone wishing to do something in Kenny’s honor could donate to their favorite environmental nonprofit, cook for someone, or be generous with your time and your heart.