Beth Chapman fought her disease for long until she couldn't anymore. But she left knowing she was truly loved. And the proof lies in the heart-warming memorial service her husband prepared for her according to Hawaiian traditions, which was her last wish to him.
June 26, 2019 was a heart-breaking day for Duane "Dog" Chapman, the Bounty Hunter, as he had to say goodbye to the love of his life, his wife Beth Chapman. The 51-year-old reality TV star had been battling throat cancer since 2017, having beaten it back the first two times. Unfortunately, the third time was beyond her control and her struggle finally ended in peace. Surrounded by her family, she passed away on June 26 at 5:32 am in Hawaii.
In a tweet, Dog said, "It’s 5:32 in Hawaii, this is the time she would wake up to go hike Koko Head mountain. Only today, she hiked the stairway to heaven. We all love you, Beth. See you on the other side."
And in a tribute fit for her, Duane, 66, put together a touching Hawaii memorial on Saturday. He led a service in Waikiki at Fort DeRussy Beach for Beth with the traditional Hawaiian "oli" chant followed by friends and family members paddling out into the ocean in an outrigger canoe to say farewell in honor of the reality star, reported Fox News Network.
It wasn't easy for him, but a tearful Duane managed to bring himself to speak. He recalled in a video from TMZ, that in all his attempts to get Beth to "call [him] 'Dog' for so many years," he'd had no luck. But it was on her deathbed that she finally said, "Hawaiian style [memorial] please, Duane 'Dog' Chapman ... Please do this right."
"She loved Hawaii and she loved the people. The people mostly, she loved," he told the crowd. "Thank you all, God bless you all."
“Those wishing to post photos and videos are asked to tag with #alohaoemrsdog,” the Chapman family announced in a statement. “'Oe' means 'you' in Hawaiian. It is customary to say, 'Aloha oe' especially when saying farewell. There is a song by the same name which Hawaiians often sing at the end of a party, funerals, or when people are leaving the islands.”
Beautiful service God bless the family ♡♡♡ #alohaoemrsdog pic.twitter.com/KVKXtokGBZ
— Stephanie Rice (@Stephan67797198) June 30, 2019
Duane wasn't the only one who wanted to honor Beth, reported US Magazine. Beth Chapman’s daughters also took to social media to post emotional messages a day after their mother's service.
“Thank you everyone who came today,” 20-year-old Bonnie Chapman wrote in an Instagram story message. “She’d love the ceremony and the flowers everyone brought. Thank you for joining us on this emotional ride.”
If you’d like to pay respects, feel free to. pic.twitter.com/fuOsOBm27Q
— Bonnie Chapman (@Bonniejoc) June 26, 2019
“I’ll never forget you, mama,” Bonnie tweeted just a while after her mom’s death. “You were such a strong woman, and you taught me to always be strong. You were strong for everyone, and you taught me it’s okay to let go.”
She battled cancer three times before being placed in a medically-induced coma. Yet, in the fight for life, she never stopped worrying about others, especially her loved ones.
"She did this completely her way. I mean, her way was to live," Duane told USA Today. "She fought so long. ... One of the last things she said was, 'This is a test to my faith.' She had faith and then that was it. There's things you go through when you're dying, like steps, like you do when you lose someone. You get mad at them and you go through all these steps. The last step when you're dying is to accept it. She said to me the other day, 'Honey, that last step? I ain't taking.'"
In a video posted by Duane soon after her passing was announced, he reveals to Hawaii News Now just how beautiful and strong his wife was.
And now we know. Duane is also set to perform another memorial service for Beth in Colorado.
Rest in Peace, Beth Chapman.
References:
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/dog-the-bounty-hunter-beth-chapman-hawaii-memorial-service
https://www.tmz.com/2019/06/29/beth-chapman-hawaii-memorial-death-dog-bounty-hunter-wife/
https://people.com/tv/beth-chapman-memorial-waikiki-hawaii/
