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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Hundreds gathered Monday to remember a young couple killed in a plane crash just days before Christmas.

1st Lt. Anthony Riggan and his wife Nicole were killed Dec. 22 when their small, single engine plane crashed during an attempted landing at the Colorado Springs Airport.

Anthony was a 2007 graduate from the Air Force Academy and was stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota.

The two were on their way home for Christmas when their plane went down.

Monday friends and family shared stories about the couple they say were perfect for each other.

'A good 'ol boy from Arkansas,' and a trustworthy friend always willing to lend a listening ear are how Anthony and Nicole will be remembered.

Friends and family said while they were only in their 20s both lived full lives, always following their passions.

Nicole was a drama star and valedictorian. Her father said as a child she always wanted to go higher and faster, and that's how she lived out her adult life.

Anthony's friends described him as a smooth talker who loved the outdoors and hunting.

A friend said Anthony once told him that dying in a plane crash would be the way to go because it would be quick, painless, and he'd be doing something he loved.

Both Anthony and Nicole were devout Christians. Friends and family said although the two will be missed, they believe they are now in heaven, a place Nicole often referred to as 'home.'

The cause of the plane crash is still under investigation, but officials said it was foggy and visibility was low at the time.