Beth Chapman's memorial sees husband Duane 'Dog' Chapman relive his fondest memories of her: 'I can't believe she's gone'
Friends and family of Beth Chapman, the late co-star of the 'Dog the Bounty Hunter' reality TV show, are gathering in Aurora, Colorado, to pay her their respect and remember her life. Her husband and co-star on the same show, Duane 'Dog the Bounty Hunter' Chapman arrived to deliver a eulogy for his wife — something that made the service particularly poignant.
Held at the Heritage Christian Center in Chapman's home state, the funeral services for Beth were live-streamed on Saturday, July 13. She passed away last month in Hawaii, where she lived with her family. Beth succumbed to a two-year battle with cancer and was 51 at the time of her passing.
Duane was seen before the service with his signature sunglasses, trying his best to hide his grief. He did let go once his children finished speaking at the service. Attempting to keep a strong face, his voice cracked when he said, "I can’t believe she's gone," reported Daily Mail. He continued: "She was so gorgeous. People would say that and she would never believe it, but I told her all the time she is gorgeous, she was so pretty."
Duane also introduced the pastor who had originally married the couple in 2006, and soon the subject shifted to their wedding vows. He talked about how Beth made the pastor take off the "till death do up apart" bit from their vows "because you (Duane) are not off the hook!"
Gene Simmons' wife Shannon Tweed, as well as Beth's sons Dakota Chapman and Gary Chapman and daughter Bonnie Chapman also delivered their speeches remembering her and her life in the ceremony that ran for around two hours. This was the second memorial for Beth, who had been previously honored with a June ceremony in Waikiki, Hawaii, where she died.
Beth and DuaneChapman starred in the A&E show until it was canceled in 2006. The show focused on the couple apprehending people who avoid arrest warrants. Later, they also starred together in Country Music Television's 'Dog & Beth: On the Hunt'.
Born Alice Elizabeth Smith in Denver, Beth married the self-proclaimed world's best bounty hunter 13 years ago. "I never admitted she was going to die," Duane said on Saturday. "She said 'How are you going to make it without me?' And I said, 'I don't know' ... She will never be dead to me."
Duane also reminisced how Beth was prone to "chew people out real good. And I'm one of them. Because she always wanted people to know what happened if they go on her dark side."
Beth's longtime friend Mary Ellen Pollack, who runs a bail bonds business in Brighton, Colorado, said Beth's "tough-as-nails" public persona had a much softer side too. "She didn't let anybody see that, and that's simply because of the profession she was in," Pollack said.
Country singer Wynonna Judd was a favorite star-turned-friend to Beth. Judd took to Twitter on June 26, the day Beth died, to remember her friend, saying: "I will always be grateful for our connection. #BethChapman."