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Family Of Woman Allegedly Killed By Boyfriend In Church Parking Lot Speaks Out

GARDENA  (CBSLA)  --  The family of a woman stabbed to death last week in a church parking lot in Gardena is speaking out about their loss Sunday.

"I miss her goofiness. I miss her presence," says daughter Eleseia Viverette.

Speaking for her sisters, she said their home isn't the same without their mother -- 50-year-old Patricia Fox.

"Whatever we were complaining about or going through or worried about or stressed about she was like 'just keep living'," says Fox's daughter Ashley Harrison.

Fox was stabbed in the parking lot of City of Refuge Church Wednesday evening.

She died nearly six agonizing hours later.

Bishop Noel Jones says his friend was a big part of his sermon Sunday.

"Today is the worst preaching day of my of my life," said the bishop.

RELATED LINK: Suspect In Ex-Girlfriend's Gardena Killing Captured In Texas After Standoff

Fox was heading to Bible study with her granddaughter when the LA County Sheriff's Department says her ex-boyfriend Kevin Dickson showed up.

The two got into an argument and detectives say Dickson stabbed her in front of witnesses including her granddaughter.

"Her granddaughter ran in and hollered they're hurting my grandmother," said Noel Jones.

Dickson was arrested in Texas – after a long stand-off this weekend.

Fox's daughters don't want to talk about him.

Instead, they want to focus on memories of a mother who volunteered to become a cheerleading coach when the team didn't have one.

"She could not teach you a cheer move but she made for sure she found someone who could teach us a cheer move," says daughter Ashley.

Suspect In Ex-Girlfriend's Gardena Killing Captured In Texas
Kevin Darnell Dickson, 55, was arrested in Texas on murder charges in the stabbing death of his ex-girlfriend, Patricia Harrison, which occurred in the parking lot of a church in Gardena, Calif., on April 18, 2018. (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department)

"She was a cheer mom so she decided to be the cheer coach so that the team wouldn't fall or buckle," says daughter Tontanisha English.

Members of this church are hoping the vibrant woman – who helped to build a school playground, feed and cared for the homeless, along with a variety of children's causes – can have some of her goodness come back to her.

Her daughters say her selflessness is her legacy.

"If you know it's any little thing you can do for a person – do it. If you see somebody on the street and in need help them," said Eleseia.

Dickson is behind bars in Texas awaiting extradition back to Los Angeles.

Fox's burial is scheduled for May 5.

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help with funeral  expenses.

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