SHOW LOW, AZ — "He loved work, he loved people. He loved his newfound hobby of flying,” says Kyle Walburn. “It's just a shame.”
Walburn now talks in the past tense about his friend and coworker, Anthony Greco. The 53-year-old recently moved with his wife to Maricopa from Chicago’s suburbs. Walburn will never forget the phone call he got about his friend.
"I was shocked. You definitely don't expect something like that. Especially somebody you know so well,” Walburn says.
Greco and his passenger, Derek Deutscher were killed in a small plane crash near Show Low Lake. According to the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office, the crash happened around 6 p.m. in a meadow on May 26.
Greco was a father of four boys who had a passion for life.
"If anybody had a love for life it was him. He just loved anything to do with outdoors people and having fun,” says Walburn.
"He loved the freedom that flying provided. You know, in Arizona, he told me he'd hop in the plane and bring Becky and you know, go out somewhere for breakfast.”
Greco’s wife, Becky, tells ABC15 he was larger than life. Becky says he was by her side during her cancer battle.
For Walburn, he will miss Anthony’s voice on the phone.
Officials not releasing details on what caused the crash; however, it is being investigated by the NTSB and Show Low Police.
