Durango native Blue Angels pilot died last year in a plane accident The memory of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss, a Durango native, continues to live in the community that loved him. The Durango High School Alumni Association was created in part to honor Kuss, who died a year ago in a jet accident in Tennessee while practicing with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. “This group started under the umbrella of the Durango Education Foundation by people who wanted to develop a program to recognize outstanding alumni in the community,” said Elizabeth Testa, executive director of the Durango Education Foundation. “They are classmates, relatives or friends of the late Captain Kuss. To them, he is a larger than life figure. He represents the attributes they consider the very best that students can embody to prepare them for success.” The association was formed last winter by a handful of alumni, many of whom graduated from DHS in 2000. “Their driving inspiration started with wanting to recognize the accomplishments of Captain Kuss, and to show the community that he was not the only gifted graduate from DHS,” Testa said. The association will honor achievement with the Jeff Kuss Distinguished Alumni award, and celebrate [...]