obituary News Updates

Klaus-Michael Kuehne broadened the company's  global reach through acquisitions. Under his leadership, the firm grew over decades into a global transport behemoth with more than 1,300 offices worldwide.

Okuda served as president then chairman of Toyota from 1995 through 2006. He is especially remembered for having led the development of the gas-electric hybrid Prius, introduced in 1997.

John Groendyke became chairman and CEO at Oklahoma-based Groendyke Transport upon the death of his father, Harold, who founded the carrier in 1932.

He was the lead Republican cosponsor of the Motor Carrier Act of 1980, which effectively deregulated the trucking industry by reducing government control. 

Dr. John McElligott, an advocate whose work through the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund helped thousands of truck drivers facing medical hardship, died Feb. 15. He was 80.

Bennett Clarke Whitlock Jr., who helped steer the trucking industry through deregulation in the late 1970s and early 1980s, has died. He was 97.

Heber Lynn Andrus, a past chairman of the Idaho Trucking Association and former owner of Idaho-based Doug Andrus Distributing, died June 11 at age 75.

TOKYO — Osamu Suzuki, the charismatic former boss of Suzuki Motor Corp. who helped turn the Japanese mini-vehicle maker into a globally competitive company, has died at 94.

Elmo Guillot, former owner of New Orleans-based Southeastern Motor Freight Inc. and Triple G Express Inc., died on Aug. 12 surrounded by his family. He was 88.

Duane Long, former president and chairman of Raleigh, N.C.-based logistics provider Longistics Transportation Inc., died June 12 after a long battle with lung disease. He was 70.