The girlfriend of Sam McGowan, the man tragically stabbed to death Wednesday night in Surrey, is speaking out, saying the 42-year-old father died coming to the aide of his son.

"He was protecting his family," Michelle Proulx said Thurdsay.

McGowan was stabbed near the intersection of 148th Street and 90th Avenue at around 7:00 p.m. He died a short time later.

Proulx says she and McGowan were watching TV when someone came to the door and told them his son was in trouble. McGowan ran to help.

When Proulx saw him next, she says he was lying on the sidewalk bleeding.

"I held him in my arms when he took his last breath," she said.

Proulx and McGowan grew up in the same neighbourhood, and were childhood sweethearts - though they only reunited again last year.

IHIT investigators on the scene worked through the night, but have released few details about the incident.

"This was a tragic event," Sgt. Rob Vermeulen said in a statement.

"The best thing we can do right now is let the investigators carry on with their investigation so the person or persons responsible can be brought to justice."

The incident has left the family dealing with death and trying to understand how it could have happened. "He was protective,'' said Madison Proulx, Michelle's daughter.

"He was very nice. He put his life in danger for everybody else's,'' she said.

He died for the protection of his children and family,'' added Michelle's other daughter Miqueilla. "We are going to miss him."

On Thursday, police officers went door to door, looking for witnesses as a police dog combed a vacant lot about a block away for evidence. But police are being tight-lipped about what they know.

Michelle was hesitant to provide too many details, but said the couple had reason to be concerned for Sam's son.

"We were coming to get him because there was some psychotic kid running around with a knife and it was too late,'' she said.

On Thursday, the family set up a memorial outside their home, a way to remember the man they believe died a hero.

I'm just going to remember he was the nicest person I'd ever known, and well miss him,'' said Madison Proulx.

With a report by CTV British Columbia's Michele Brunoro