CARBONDALE, Colo. -- Tears of sadness and laughter filled the Aspen Glen Club House in Carbondale Thursday. The surroundings seemingly perfect for the Texas native, who called the Roaring Fork Valley home.

“He truly loved theValley,” Maggert’s mom Vicki Benzel told the standing room only crowd.

Maggert, 47, was killed May 8, when the plane he was flying crashed on a mountainside near Black Hawk, Colo. Maggert’s only passenger, Jonathan Holton, suffered a broken ankle and other injuries in the crash. The two were flying to Boulder to see Maggert’s son, Lee, graduate from the University of Colorado.

The National Transportation Safety Board released preliminary informationc that indicated the plane experienced a fuel mixture problem that caused it to lose power, but no cause for the crash was given.

Maggert’s wife, Renee, called Holton her hero.

“He had the forethought to pull him out of the plane,” Renee Maggert said.

Holton, a close family friend, summoned help using Maggert’s cell phone and tried to administer medical aid.

“He laid him out on a bed of pine needles to keep him warm and found every piece of clothing to keep him warm,” Maggert said arm-in-arm with Holton, who quietly stood next to her on crutches.

“Barry survived for 30 minutes, and I’m thankful Jonathan was with him,” Renee Maggert said.

The couple’s three sons took turns sharing stories about their father.

“I think he’s done a good job raising us,” Lee Maggert said. “I wish there was so much more he could teach me.”

Maggert’s son Bryant wore a golf hat and shirt with lounge pants in honor of his father.

“He never got to wear this out to any formal occasions, so I thought I’d wear it for him,” Bryant said while chuckling to the crowd.

Taylor Maggert told of his father’s love of flying, and the spontaneous trips they often took together.

Family members said flying was just one of many passions of Maggert’s. The Carbondale businessman, who started his own architectural engineering firm, also had interests in Libertarian politics, electronics, and the sport of golf.

Maggert’s younger brother, professional golfer Jeff Maggert, attended the memorial Thursday.

Close childhood friend, Greg Yarborough, generated laughs as he told several stories of Maggert’s younger days growing up in The Woodlands, Texas.

KMGH-TV’s helicopter, known as AirTracker 7, was first to spot the downed plane. Maggert’s family invited the crew to Thursday’s celebration to express their gratitude for finding the plane.

In lieu of flowers, the Maggert family asked that donations be made to the 14 agencies that helped in the emergency operation: Federal Aviation Administration, Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office, Gilpin Victim’s Services, Central City Police, Black Hawk Police, Gilpin Search and Rescue, Alpine Rescue, Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, Central City Fire, Black Hawk Fire, Civil Air Patrol, Colorado National Guard, Airlife, Gilpin Ambulance, and Science Care, (where Maggert’s family said his remains will be donated.)