WASHINGTON — The widow of one of the victims of the Capital Gazette shooting is remembering her late husband as the family prepares to celebrate his life on Monday. Maria Hiaasen told CNN that the past day has been hell for the family as they prepare to say goodbye to Rob Hiaasen, a writer and assistant editor for the paper.

“It takes an awful lot to remove the memory of signing a death certificate, or the forms to get a death certificate,” Hiaasen said. Hiaasen said late husband had a passion for journalism, and principals those in the industry stand up for. “He was a civic-minded person, a man who believed in the press, and yet a human being,” she said. Hiaasen said her husband’s care for people and his character was reflected in the stories he wrote. Hiaasen, a former journalist, said it was the goal of her husband, and of most journalists, to uncover the truth. “It’s impossible to get the absolute truth; its impossible to understand everything. Lord knows I know that today,” she said. Friends and family will join Hiaasen this evening at 6 p.m. for a celebration of life for her late husband at the Irvine Nature Center in Owing Mills. Those attending are being asked to wear summer casual clothing, with shorts encouraged — the invitation said Rob wouldn’t want attendees to wear suits.