LAKEWOOD - The family of two storm chasers killed in a powerful tornado last year say they still wake up and wonder - did this really happen? Are we really without the men in our lives?
Kathy Samaras and her daughters, Jenny Scott and Amy Gregg, were used to saying goodbye to their dad and brother in the springtime. They never expected to be without them this spring.
Tim Samaras was an engineer, a researcher, a scientist, a husband, a dad and a grandfather.
"I used to say he was the smartest man I knew. The thing that amazed me is that I don't believe, I really don't believe he knew that," Samaras said.
For as long as they can remember, Tim was fixing things and building things. He was always fascinated by weather and believed that if scientists better understood tornadoes, they could offer advance warnings and even improve home and building construction in the tornado zones.
Many years ago, Tim captured some video of a tornado and shared it with the weather team at 9NEWS. Within a few years, he became known worldwide for his work with the Discovery Channel as part of "The Storm Chasers."
Paul Samaras grew up with similar passions and a love of photography. His sisters say he was smart, funny and compassionate. His skills as a photographer made him the perfect member of his dad's team, following and tracking tornadoes.
Carl Young, also a researcher, was the third member of the team working in El Reno, Oklahoma last May. They were following a powerful tornado that took a sudden and unprecedented turn. The three men were among thirteen who died in the tornadoes that ripped through the Oklahoma City area.
Samaras is just beginning to understand the impact her husband made in his 55 years of life. She has a box full of cards and letters from around the world from people who knew Tim and people who knew his work.
"It's really helped us. It's been really heartwarming to know that his life and Paul's have had such a good impact on so many people," she said.
Gregg says she sees some of her dad's characteristics in her 2-year-old son. She says her children have helped her cope with her grief this past year.
Tim and Paul were drawn to the science of severe weather. Kathy, Amy and Jenny are now drawn to the people caught in the storms.
They hope to start a foundation to help families who have lost loved ones in tornadoes. Every time they hear about a deadly storm, their heart breaks, as they think about the families left behind.
They hope to give them encouragement and support.
"I've always thought good would come from this, and there's been a lot of good. Even though there's been a lot of pain and heartbreak, I've seen the goodness in people, and it is overwhelming," Samaras said.
(KUSA-TV © 2014 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)
