ST. LOUIS — A proud James Coen beams with joy when he thinks about his daughter, Katherine "Katie" Coen.
"She was a wonderful person. Her smile alone would just melt you. When you saw her smiling, you would see life, said Coen on Thursday.
He said ever since Katie was a young girl she was kind-hearted, full of life, loved children, and to travel.
"One year she moved to Argentina to learn Spanish. Why? Because she was going to Colombia, South America and spend a year down there in dusty, little villages to teach children English. That's just who she was," said Coen's dad.
Now, no one can believe what happened to Katie.
"She called her mother at 2:30 to say you know I'm going grocery shopping. I'll call you later," he said.
Sadly, that never happened.
Coen said his daughter parked her car behind her home in The Grove neighborhood in the midst of a severe storm. Katie sat in her Kia Optima, waiting it out.
"The lovely people parked right next to her in their car were doing the same thing," said Coen.
Suddenly, a massive oak tree uprooted and fell on Katie's car, killing her.
The 33-year-old's twin sister called their dad with the heartbreaking news.
"She was hysterical. I told my daughter to calm down ... I can't understand you. She then slowed down and said 'My sister's dead.' Neighbors tried to help. Obviously, the tree was massive, just tons and tons. I heard that tree was 120 years old," Coen said with tears in his eyes.
"So many people were out there in those heavy downpours for more than an hour and a half. I don't want them to think their efforts were in vain, but God saw them trying to help that girl," he said.
Katie only moved to the neighborhood a month ago. She was single and a beloved office worker at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis for five months.
Her devastated dad now leans on his faith.
"Everybody knows God works in mysterious ways, but we want to thank him now for 33 years," he said.
Funeral services for Katie will be private.