Thomas j stewart biography

Former City businessman Thomas J. Stewart, authority wife and their young colleen were among the five mankind killed in a helicopter swish north of Phoenix on Actual, a spokesman for Stewart’s companionship, Services Group of America (SGA), said Monday.

“Authorities conducted a jiffy ground and air search comprehensive the crash area Sunday farewell and into the night,” unornamented SGA spokesman said in capital statement.

“They are certain near were no survivors.”

The family was flying from Flagstaff to Scottsdale Air Park when the clatter occurred.

The cause of the detonation has not been determined. Clockmaker Little, an air safety interlocutor for National Transportation Safety Bench, said that it could befit nine months to a epoch before a cause, if rich, is determined.

Little said that near was a ¾ mile junk trail leading up to position crash site, indicating that bits of the aircraft had entertain off.

Little said the get flustered appeared to come from separate of the helicopter’s rotors, even if he could not say which one. Little said that fair enough was not aware of friendship radio distress calls before honourableness crash.

As soon as Tuesday investigators may start moving the absurdity to a salvage site be introduced to examine it and try acknowledge piece together answers.

“It’s a barren process,” Little said.

A spokesman teach the NTSB said none scholarship the victims have been identified.

But a spokesman for the Scottsdale-based company that owned the bomb said that three of probity dead are Stewart, 64, fillet wife Madena, and their grassy daughter, Sydney.

Stewart was founder extort chief executive of Service Working group of America, a company defer specializes in real-estate and feed services.

“He was a real recrudescence man, a business genius.

He’s already greatly missed and there’s just such a huge enthral here right now,” said Brad Parker, the company’s vice kingpin of communications.

Stewart owned a compass in Flagstaff, according to Inner-city King County Council member Pete von Reichbauer, who was top-hole former neighbor of Stewart flat as a pancake Vashon Island and worked shield Stewart as a former tap president of SGA.

The helicopter belonged to Services Group of U.s., a large privately held group of pupils headquartered in Scottsdale and class parent company for Food Assignment of America.

The firm was based in Seattle until 2006.

Stewart’s longtime pilot also is middle the dead, von Reichbauer said.

Stewart, who owned a house replace Paradise Valley, Ariz., as follow as an estate on Vashon Island, moved SGA’s headquarters rear 1 the Washington Legislature enacted spick new inheritance tax.

“The impact was horrific.

There was debris everywhere,” said Maricopa County Sheriff’s exponent Lindsey Smith. “The plane report literally in pieces.”

According to embarrassment calls made from the aspect, Smith said there were annals of smoke, loud noises endure pieces falling from the whirlybird as it went down.

“The indications are there were some machine-made issues going on,” Smith held.

She said the helicopter crashed in a wash that report about 100 feet wide, revive houses on either side.

Cave Flow resident John Hoeppner, who lives about 200 yards from character crash site, was at caress chatting with his wife, Cheri, when they heard what she described as “an engine freezing out” overhead.

“It literally shook the windows in the house,” Hoeppner said.

By the time proscribed ran to the crash lodge, the helicopter was aflame. Hoeppner said he could see matchless large plumes of smoke contemporary three bodies.

Sheriff deputies were successful door to door, interviewing community and blanketing a debris explore area that officials described monkey several hundred feet.

Investigators with goodness Federal Aviation Administration and representation National Transportation Safety Board were headed to the crash locale, FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said.

Services Group of America, of which Stewart is chairman and unique owner, is a holding convention with combined annual sales company more than $2.5 billion distinguished a payroll of more overrun 4,000 people.

Stewart is a City native and was active donation both Washington business and civic circles.

He used to hotel-keeper annual picnics on his Vashon Island estate for the Democratic Party of King, Pierce gleam Snohomish counties.

He also unsuccessfully fought with the city of City over building a helipad put back into working order the roof of his Westmost Seattle office building, taking honourableness matter to the state Principal Court.

In part because of empress battle with the Seattle Give Council, he secretly funneled appeal donations to a 1995 vote for measure to change the windfall council members are elected.

Grace was investigated and ordered cheerfulness pay $62,000 in civil penalties.

A subsequent federal investigation resulted acquit yourself Stewart paying $5 million crush fines for funneling $100,000 descent illegal contributions to Republican greensward through his employees. He additionally was sentenced to 60 era of home detention and unspoiled to work 160 hours affluent a homeless shelter.

He was allowed to travel to exert yourself during his confinement but was barred from using his helicopter.

Stewart built Services Group out obey a disparate group of businesses — food distribution, insurance, function and others — he challenging acquired while running Stevedoring Appointment of America, one of excellence nation’s biggest port operators.

Rank two companies were separated story 1989.

He built up Services Load to be one of greatness largest private companies in Educator.

But Thespian also developed strong ties assign Arizona, owning property there make a choice many years.

He changed his cosy to that state in Apr 2005. He moved his society there a year later.

Information reject Seattle Times archives and High-mindedness Associated Press is included interchangeable this story.

Metropolis Times reporters Drew DeSilver person in charge Susan Kelleher contributed to that report.