Pilot Monroe Smith and photographer Chris Dougherty were killed when the helicopter crashed in the Wharton State Forest in Washington Township, Burlington County.
"Monroe was a true aviator. He loved his job. He loved flying, everything about it. Everything. It was his true passion," said Rosalyn Collins, Monroe's wife.
"Two really genuine people who have your best interest at heart and you can feel it," said Nicholas Thomas, a former colleague.
If tears put a value on a man's character, Monroe Smith and Chris Dougherty were priceless.
"It almost didn't seem real," added Thomas.
Thomas spent five years flying with Dougherty as a pilot inside Chopper 6. He was behind the flight controls and Dougherty behind the lens.
"Just a genuine person and fun to be around," added Thomas.
Dougherty, an Oreland resident, loved music, his fightin' Phils and the local Lions Club. But Thomas says more than anything, Dougherty loved his wife and two daughters.
"Always proud and very happy of his family," said Thomas.
In nearby Glenside, Monroe's wife and adult children are preparing for a difficult holiday without the man they affectionately called "Chopper."
"Me and my father had a pretty tight bond," said Monroe Smith Jr.
Rosalyn shared a similar sentiment remembering her husband.
"He was such a great husband, a great father, grandfather. A good friend. He was very generous with his time for people," she said.
That time included mentoring young people interested in aviation. The former Army pilot had a quiet cool about him and was respected around the airport. He loved air shows and the skies above.
"There were times we were going down the road driving and we're talking and you'll just see him looking up... 'Dad, the road!'" said Allen Smith, Monroe's son.
These holidays will be part celebration and part pain. It's an agony these loved ones say will never go away.
Former coworkers describe pilot, photographer killed in Chopper 6 crash
"We're just thinking of him always. There is not a day that goes by that he's not in our thoughts and prayers. It's a tough time but we're going to get through it," Rosalyn said.
"I couldn't have been more fortunate to have Chris as my photographer and Monroe as the other pilot and supervisor," added Thomas.
The National Transportation Safety Board continues to investigate the crash.
The NTSB issued a preliminary report earlier this year. The final report has yet to be released.