MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. — "She was a very sweet person," said Kathi Lucas-Johnson.
Kathi said her niece, Maria Lucas, also had a huge heart and a bright smile that would light up any room. Lucas-Johnson said you could even see a special sparkle in a picture of an 8-year-old Maria.
"She just had that great, and at times, mischievous smile as a little girl. We loved it when she grew up. She always had this way of making you laugh at yourself," said Lucas-Johnson.
She said Maria was a dedicated caregiver to her parents and loved mentoring kids.
"She loved children, especially special needs kids. She used to be a special needs teacher. Maria may not have had kids of her own, but she had all these special needs kids that she worked with," her aunt said.
The 45-year-old supervisor also liked working at the Maryland Heights Community Center.
"She really loved her job and she really enjoyed it and she liked the increased responsibility she was getting there. Maria was excited about the center and she liked her co-workers," said Kathi.
Maria's family still cannot believe it was just a week ago when she visited her father in the hospital. She came by twice, kissed him and told him she'd see him later after work, they said.
That would be the last time the dad would see his only daughter, shot and killed on the job.
RELATED: Everything we know about the shooting that happened inside a St. Louis County community center
It is another loss for the Lucas family after Maria's mom passed away several months ago.
Now, Lucas' father, three brothers and huge family are trying to make it through.
"Understandably, her father is taking it extremely hard. He's a tough, former military guy and like I said he did two tours in Vietnam and you know this is a lot on his heart. He lost his only girl. It's been a nightmare," said Lucas-Johnson.
It's a "nightmare" that's rocked Maria's family and her co-workers and friends at the Maryland Heights Community Center.
"I kept saying this is surreal. This can't be real," said Maria's aunt.
But the pain and grief are all too real for so many now, who are missing Maria.
"I have tried not to cry so much because our family's trying to hold it together," said Kathi Lucas-Johnson.
Monday night, Maria Lucas' father, Virgil Lucas, died, her family told 5 On Your Side.
The family will hold a joint memorial for Maria and Virgil on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Christ Church Cathedral, located at 1210 Locust.
