The Aurora, Colorado, funeral the Chapman family is organizing to send-off their matriarch is set to be an extraordinary and heart-wrenching affair. Beth Chapman, co-star of the reality series “Dog the Bounty Hunter” and wife to Duane (Dog) Chapman, sadly passed away at the end of last month after a battle with lung cancer. She was 51. Shortly after Beth’s death, the Chapman family organized a memorial in Hawaii, where a majority of the family lives. That event was intimate and involved a paddle-out and a traditional Hawaiian send-off. The Colorado event, which will be held on Saturday, July 13, is open to the public, and the family is expecting really large crowds.
READ MOREJuly 13, 2019 –
Heritage Christian Center
14401 E. Exposition Avenue
Aurora, Colorado 80012 – Doors open at 1:00 Service starts at 2:00 pic.twitter.com/Htw4SKxDDl— Duane Dog Chapman (@DogBountyHunter) July 1, 2019
They’re expecting so many of Beth’s family, friends, and fans to show up, that a celebrity organizer has been selected to help with the details of the event. Kim Fields, known for portraying “Tootie” on The Facts of Life and from Real Housewives of Atlanta, is coordinating security for the event and overseeing production details, according to TMZ. Fields ended up with the job because she recently relocated to Aurora and joined Beth’s church — Heritage Christian Center. (Beth had homes in two states — Hawaii and Colorado.)
While the two women never met in person, TMZ reported that Fields took on the job because she felt that God was calling her to help people in mourning. There’s been no shortage of love for Beth from family and fans alike in the weeks since she passed away. Her children, step-children and grandchildren have all been regularly posting loving photos and memories about Beth to social media. Just yesterday Jamie Chapman, Beth’s daughter-in-law by way of Jamie’s marriage to Dog’s son Leland, posted a photo of a card Beth had given her for Mother’s Day with a heart-warming note from Beth included. Cecily Chapman, Beth’s daughter from her first marriage, has also been sharing some never-before-seen photos of her mom, with captions about how much Beth meant to her and the entire Chapman clan.
And according to reports, the family will be pulling out all the stops for Beth’s final send-off. Since such a large crowd is expected, the family is working with local police to make sure the venue is safe and secure. Weapons will be banned at the service — even though Colorado is an open carry state — and all bags will be searched. TMZ reported the extra security is related to sensitivities among the community after the 2012 Aurora movie theatre shooting, and the nearby Columbine High School shooting.
On top of the extensive security, the event planners are set to go all out with decorations as well. The church is expected to be filled with stargazer lilies — Beth’s favorite flower. The Colorado send-off, along with the one held in Hawaii, is apparently just what Beth wanted when she discussed her memorials with her family. Beth’s death came quickly, and was something of a surprise for the Chapman family, but because she was battling stage 4 cancer, it’s been reported that the family did outline funeral plans with Beth before she passed.
SurvivorNet has interviewed many people who have experience watching a loved one go through cancer, and they often tell us that those really tough conversations — such as the talks about funeral arrangements or what happens after death — are super important to have.
The fact that Beth made sure her memorial would be open to her countless fans is quite heart-warming as well, especially when taking into account just how many people felt connected to the TV star. Fellow bounty hunter Bobby Brown shared an image to Twitter last week of some art created by a devoted fan of Beth’s. The painting features a really well-drawn rendition of Beth, surrounded by beautiful flowers, plus some angel wings and a halo. “This lovely lady and her handsome son drove up from Pueblo, She’s been a LOYAL follower of #DogAndBeth. She walked in my office today and said she had a GIFT for #DOG that he and #BETH saved her LIFE,” Brown captioned the photo.
#BethChapman @MrsdogC definitely got her “WINGS” This lovely lady and her handsome son drove up from Pueblo. She’s been a LOYAL follower of #DogAndBeth She walked in my office today and said she had a GIFT for #DOG that he and #BETH saved her LIFE this is her Thank You RT pic.twitter.com/8b4zEqcaCl
— Bobby Brown (@bobbybrown719) July 4, 2019
Thousands of other fans have taken to social media to mourn Beth and share their condolences with the Chapman family. Many have even shared that they plan to travel far and wide to attend the Colorado memorial. Beth was inspirational to so many fans — not just because she was successful in the bounty hunting business, but because she faced her cancer diagnosis with such bravery. Beth was first diagnosed with throat cancer in 2017. She was treated at that time and declared cancer-free a few months later. However, her cancer returned near the end of 2018 and by that point, it had progressed to stage 4 lung cancer.
Over the past few months, the reality star had been really candid with fans about the ups and downs of going through cancer treatment in the public eye. Like so many people in similar situations, Beth relied heavily on faith as she took on cancer. Even the final words that she exchanged with her husband Dog — “In Jesus’ name” — revolved around her never-wavering Christian faith.
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