Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapmanis spending his first Thanksgiving without late wifeBeth Chapman.
On his Instagram Story, he linked to a post from costar Rainy Robinson informing fans about a memorial scholarship set up in Beth’s honor.
“For those of you that don’t know, A Beth Chapman Memorial Scholarship non-profit was established in her honor,” the post from Robinson read. “This scholarship is designated for those wanting to complete their GED/HiSet test.http://www.mrsdog.orgPlease share. ❤️ #ThisOnesForBeth #DogsMostWantedSeason2”
Duane, 66, told PEOPLE earlier this week that he would be in charge of cooking the turkey this year, joking, “I hope there is a guide on YouTube!”
“Several family members are coming for the meal and my children are all freaked out because I’m cooking,” he said. “The daughters will be bringing other dishes to go with the turkey. We always realize what the day of Thanksgiving means, so we all talk about the main thing we are thankful for.”
“We also have an award we give out, which is called the Butthole of the Turkey award and it goes to the most difficult child of that previous year,” he continued, adding that it would be going to his son Garry this year.
Duane, whowas hospitalizedfor a heart issue in September, said he is “feeling much better, health-wise.”
“I will never, ever be the same emotionally, because there’s a huge piece of my heart that isn’t there anymore,” he admitted. “But I have to remain Dad and the Dog.”
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Beth, who wasdiagnosed with stage II throat cancerin September 2017, died on June 26 at the age of 51.
“I hesitated for a minute thinking, I don’t want to have to go through this again,” he told PEOPLE at the time. “I don’t want to die right now. I’m not afraid to die anymore, but I really didn’t care for awhile if something would happen. I do care now.”
On the finale ofDog’s Most Wantedearlier this month, viewers saw the raw moments the Chapman family shared in the days before and the hours after Beth’s death.
In an emotional home footage clip, Duane’s daughters — Lyssa, Bonnie and Cecily — were at a loss for words hours after her death.
“It feels like it’s not real,” said Lyssa, one of Duane’s children with his third wife, Lyssa Brittain.
“We’ve prepared for this for a while,” Duane told her. “I don’t care how much you prepare, it’s tough.”
The family has honored Beth at agathering with friends and fans at Fort DeRussy Beach in Waikiki, Hawaii, as well as at anemotional memorial serviceat the Heritage Christian Center in Aurora, Colorado.
source: people.com
