a 90 - minute delay in the family ’s flight from phoenix ’s sky harbor airport left them with about 7 minutes to make a connecting flight in minneapolis , which was the last plane flying to memphis that day .
with only two minutes to get to the gate .
 
short 's ( jay ) last wish was to be buried with his family in bolivar , tennessee .
jay 's wife booked flights from their home in phoenix , arizona to memphis so they could attend the funeral in bolivar .
a family frantically rushing to catch a flight on their way to their loved one 's funeral received a surprise gift from two delta pilots .
the family dashed to the gate in the minneapolis airport , the door to the jet way to tennessee .
 
the delay caused problems for the family was headed to the funeral of jay w. short , a 56 - year - old husband and father of three who died on dec. 16 after losing a battle to lung cancer about five months after being diagnosed .