LIVE OAK Fla.-- An already dark day for one family in Live Oak just even darker.
Don and Josephine DeRocher were traveling in their Piper Cherokee plane to Don's father's funeral when something when terribly wrong. Their plane crashed near Canton, Ct.
"It's just a tragedy that happened at a bad time," said Suwanee County airport facilities manager, Dana Brindle.
Brindle was one of the last to see the couple before their tragic trip. He says the two loved their retirement life in Live Oak, especially time spent in the quiet country airport, volunteering for the Experimental Aircraft Association.
"He was out here about every day," said Brindle. "She was always right with him, very rarely would you see him without her."
A couple that spent nearly every waking moment together died together, and Brindle tells Action News they wouldn't have had it any other way. The DeRocher's names will be added to an airport memorial of other local pilots that have passed, but even with their names written in stone, the tiny airport community says they're still in disbelief that their friends are really gone for good.
"I expect to see his little minivan come rolling up the driveway any time," said Brindle.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Plans for a memorial service in Connecticut and in Live Oak are underway.
