Friends: Americans killed by pirates were careful

"He wasn't a man of many words, but he was a kind-hearted individual with a great passion for animals and animal welfare," Jordan said.

Riggle once took a colleague's family sailing when their daughter was diagnosed with cancer to get their mind off their troubles. "That was just a small indicator about how he treated people," he said.

Macay was vice president for training and development for Profitability Consulting Group, an adviser to retail furniture stores based in Hillsborough, N.C. She and Riggle were romantically involved when they first met, but later were friends who sailed together, Kirkham said.

Profitability Consulting CEO John Eggers said Macay was regarded in the industry as one of the top educators and presenters on design and sales.

"She was such a free spirit," Eggers said. "She was just a real professional and just loved life."

Tibbits reported from Seattle. Associated Press writers Phuong Le in Seattle and Jason Dearen in South San Francisco also contributed to this report.