NEW YORK >> The family of Kim Porter released a statement honoring her life a day after Thanksgiving, saying “although we’ve lost our best friend, God has gained a special angel and we know she is watching over us.”

Porter, a former model and actress who was also the longtime former girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs, died unexpectedly last week at age 47. Authorities haven’t given a cause.

“God broke the mold when he made Kim, there was truly no other woman like her. Although her time here on earth was far too short, she lived a life full of purpose and meaning. She was a loving mother and devoted friend. She was the epitome of kindness and grace. There wasn’t a person she met who’s soul she did not touch. Kim was the type of woman who changed lives for the better,” the Porter, Goodwin and Combs families say in a statement today to The Associated Press. “She will be forever remembered and missed by so many. As her family, we promise to honor her every day of our lives. We love you always.”

Porter was the mother of three of Combs’ children. Porter also has a son, actor-singer Quincy Brown, from a previous relationship with R&B singer Al B. Sure!

Her funeral will be held Saturday at Cascade Hills Church in Columbus, Georgia. Paramedics rushed to Porter’s house last week after calls saying she was unresponsive. She was declared dead soon after they arrived.