Dog the Bounty Hunter Reveals Wife Beth Chapman's Heartfelt Last Words

From Country Living

• Dog the Bounty Hunter star Beth Chapman died of cancer this week after a long battle.

• Husband Duane Chapman opened up about his wife's death in a recent interview.

In the days following Beth Chapman's death, Duane "Dog" Chapman is struggling to cope with the loss of his wife.

On Wednesday, Duane made the heartbreaking announcement that Beth had lost her years-long battle with throat cancer. Soon after, the Dog the Bounty Hunter star opened up to local reporters outside his home in Hawaii about how it's "the most terrible time in [his] life."

"You kind of try to remember that you're celebrating life, but right now we're mourning the death, so it's not good." Duane told Hawaii News Now, standing alongside his daughters. "We knew that someday this day would come. But it came very unexpected, really fast. We didn't prepare."

In early June, Beth appeared healthy when she posted a rare, make-up free selfie before heading to the beach. Less than two weeks later, Duane was asking for prayers when his wife was put in a medically induced coma. Just days after that, she passed away.

"The cancer gig, of course, we've gotta find a cure," Duane went on. "Because all we have now is some get lucky-but most pass away."

The grieving reality star reminisced about the days leading up to Beth's death, saying "she fought hard" and "did it her way."

"There's some things that they predicted that the doctors ended up saying, 'We've never, ever, seen anything like this,'" Duane revealed. "Her way was to live. She wanted to live so bad and she fought so long."

"One of the last things she said [was] 'It's a test of my faith,'" he continued. "She had faith and that was it. There's things you go through when you're dying, like steps like you do when you lose someone, right? You get mad at them, and then you go through all these steps."

"Well, the last step when you're dying is to accept it," Duane said. "And she said to me the other day, 'Honey, that last step, I ain't taking…'"

In the end, when Beth couldn't fight any longer, her focus was still on her family.

"When she had an attack I didn’t know anything to do but to say 'in Jesus's name' and hold her. And when I said 'in Jesus's name' she said, 'Say it again, say it more,'" Duane said, recalling her final words to him. "And then she told the girls and everybody . . .'I love you' and, 'Are you guys all okay? Don’t worry.'"

Even after her death, Duane still feels his wife's presence all around the house.

"Beth was somewhat of a control person," he joked. "From Heaven I'm sure, she's still controlling me. I’ve got notes in my pillowcases, on my sink, in my shaving thing. She’s still telling me what to wear."

The Chapman family plans to hold two memorial services in honor of Beth: one in Hawaii and one in Colorado. The Hawaiian memorial will be held on Sunday, June 30 at 2 p.m. in Waikiki.

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