Six months after losing his wife to throat cancer, Duane Chapman admits that his family's first Christmas without her is the hardest for their two daughters, Bonnie and Cecily.
- December 21, 2019
AceShowbiz - "Dog the Bounty Hunter" star Duane Chapman is doing his best to enjoy his first Christmas without late with Beth Chapman.
The reality star died in June after losing her battle with throat cancer, aged 51, and Duane told Entertainment Tonight he plans to keep up Beth's "old style, old-fashioned" traditions in her memory.
"That means the tree and the presents. All the stockings hung up… so I'm trying to keep that exact tradition," he explained. "I've got it all decorated. All the stockings are hung. We always left - when the kids were young - cookies for Santa, and I think I'll do that this year also."
He added decorating the tree was a cathartic experience, sharing, "Every little ball that's on the tree, every ornament, you know, there's 20 years plus of ornaments on that tree, so as I hung (them), I remembered where and when we bought each one."
However, he reflected it was bittersweet, as their daughter Bonnie and his adopted daughter Cecily missed Beth's presence around the home.
"Beth knew every single (Christmas song), and she made us all listen to Christmas songs like two weeks before Christmas," he said. "As we decorated the tree, she'd put on Christmas songs. Every night before we went to bed she'd put them on."
"I think the girls are taking it the hardest without being able to sing with mom," Duane, 66, added.
