"No matter what Ralph pursued he did so with a passion, and his zest for life was unbelievable. A devoted father to his daughter Esleigh Saxe; a true family man like no other.
"As the oldest son we could not be prouder and the love he has shown to us, Esleigh and his siblings was an inspiration to us all.
"He lived life to the fullest. The void his loss has created in our family will be impossible to fill."
Dr Saxe was a well-known Manawatu doctor who had worked extensively in South Africa and New Zealand.
He was managing director at the Palms Medical Centre in Palmerston North, where his wife is also a practice manager.
On his curriculum vitae he said in 2002 he was elected onto the MidCentral District Health Board, where he was a member for two years.
Dr Saxe had also worked as a GP and a pharmaceutical company manager in South Africa in the 1990s.
Between 1992 and 1996 he worked as a GP in Melkbrosstrand, 35km north of Cape Town.
In his spare time he was a keen flyer, and had his private pilot's licence.
Dr Saxe was part of the Feilding Aero Club, the Manawatu Aero Club and the Rifle, Rod and Gun Club in Palmerston North.
On his curriculum vitae, he listed flying, shooting and trout fishing as some of his interests.
Dr Saxe and Dr Ireland were in an Aerostar Yak 52TW, co-owned by Dr Saxe, when they crashed in the Feilding park about 10.45am on Monday.
Queensland chiropractor Dr Ireland had previously lived in Manawatu but had moved his family to Southport, on Australia's Gold Coast, in 2002.
He and his wife Janine had returned to Palmerston North for the wedding of a friend's daughter.
The Civil Aviation Authority is investigating the crash.
