Funeral services held for Calabasas helicopter crash victim Christina Mauser
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Friends and family gathered to say goodbye to Christina Mauser on Sunday, exactly three weeks after the helicopter crash in Calabasas that also killed Kobe Bryant and seven others.
Mauser's private funeral service began at 1 p.m. inside the gymnasium of her alma mater, Edison High School in Huntington Beach.
Mauser was a mother of three and former coach at Orange County's Harbor Day School, where Bryant's 13-year-old daughter Gianna attended, and most recently worked full-time at Bryant's Mamba Academy in Newbury Park, where the group was headed for Gianna's basketball tournament.
Her daughter, Penny, attended Harbor Day with Gianna.
Mauser is survived by her three children, including Penny, and her husband, Matthew.
Matthew opened up about her tragic death in an emotional interview with ABC News.
"I loved her. It's as simple as that," Matthew said. "I loved my wife with everything I had."
OC coach killed in Calabasas helicopter crash remembered by husband
He said his wife flew in the helicopter multiple times and would always get nervous when she would. On Jan. 26, when she didn't respond, he knew something was wrong, especially when someone called to see if she was OK.
"He called me and said... 'Is Christina OK? There's reports that Kobe's dead.' And I just hit the floor," he recalled.
He admits part of him wished Christina was a stay-at-home mom, but knew she loved what she did. She was handpicked by Bryant to coach for a girls' basketball program.
"She just adored the girls. She adored them all," he said. "She treated them like her own. She loved what she did."
The cause of the helicopter crash remains under investigation.
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