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Highland Park victim remembered as 'extraordinary mother and an extraordinary wife'

Avid bird-watchers, Katherine Goldstein and her husband, Dr. Craig Goldstein, frequently traveled to exotic locales.

The Highland Park couple's adventures took them to Belize, Panama, the Peruvian Amazon and many other exciting places.

But if it was up to Katie, as her family and friends knew her, she likely would have preferred more conventional vacation destinations.

"I think she much rather would have gone to Europe and visit museums," Craig Goldstein said. "But she would attack (the trips) with enthusiasm. She wasn't someone who complained. She did things cheerfully."

Katie Goldstein, 64, was among the seven people killed by a gunman during Monday's Independence Day parade in Highland Park.

Goldstein cared deeply about other people, preferring to talk about their lives than her own during conversations, her husband recalled. Since her death, many people have called Craig to tell him she was their best friend.

"How many best friends can one person have?" he asked. "She was that to so many people."

Craig Goldstein described Katie as smart and "incredibly capable" - someone who could do anything. She had a wonderful sense of humor, too, he said.

Katie Goldstein enjoyed skiing in the winter with her family. Come spring time, she loved to watch birds migrating north.

"She was out every morning with her binoculars," Craig Goldstein said.

Craig Goldstein described Katie as "an extraordinary mother and an extraordinary wife."

Goldstein's survivors include two daughters, Cassie and Alana.

Cassie Goldstein was with her mom when she was shot, according to media reports. Cassie escaped without physical injury.

"She was just a good mom," Cassie Goldstein told NBC News. "I got to have 22 years with the best mom in the world."

Services will be private. Craig Goldstein hopes to spread his wife's ashes at a favorite bird-watching site.

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