TAUNTON, Mass. — A family is remembering a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother after she was fatally stabbed during a violent spree in Taunton earlier this week.
Patricia Slavin was stabbed to death when Arthur DaRosa allegedly went on a stabbing spree at several locations around Taunton earlier this week.
On Saturday, her family remembered their mother and grandmother.
"She was just an amazing, amazing women," said Fredrick Slavin.
Patricia and her daughter Kathleen were eating dinner Tuesday night when a man came to their door on Myricks Street. They thought he needed help, so they opened the door and let him in. The family says he knocked both of them off their feet.
"And he had asked them 'where is it?' and they said 'where's what?' He said 'where's the gun' and we said 'we don't have a gun,'" said Rev. Kevin Cook.
Police say DaRosa grabbed a knife and stabbed both of them. Patricia, 80, died at the hospital and Kathleen was released after being treated for three days.
"It's going to take a long time for her to heal but daily we see improvements," said Fredrick Slavin.
The family is planning a funeral for Wednesday and they will be talking about forgiveness.
She leaves behind six children, who she called her six pack, along with seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
"Her smile, her eyes. The way she brought joy to this world was just amazing," said Fredrick Slavin.
Pat's longtime friend, who will help with the eulogy, isn't surprised Pat lost her life trying to help a stranger.
"I could never imagine her not opening the door because she cared about everyone," said Merle Coughlin.
Her children are devastated, but said Patricia was a forgiving woman and that's helping them deal with her death.
"That gentleman was forgiven instantly by my mother. Instant forgiveness for the act," said Daniel Slavin.
Patricia Salvin’s funeral is Wednesday at O'Keefe-Wade Funeral Home in Taunton at 9:30 a.m. It is followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in Holy Family Church in East Taunton at 11 a.m. The family asks that donations in Patricia's memory be made to the Holy Family Capital Campaign, P.O. Box 619, East Taunton, Ma 02718 .