The Robertson family is mourning the loss of Phil Robertson after news broke of his death at age 79.
“We celebrate today that our father, husband, and grandfather, Phil Robertson, is now with the Lord,” Willie Robertson’s wife, Korie Robertson, wrote via Facebook on Sunday, May 25. “Thank you for the love and prayers of so many whose lives have been impacted by his life saved by grace, by his bold faith, and by his desire to tell everyone who would listen the Good News of Jesus. We are grateful for his life on earth and will continue the legacy of love for God and love for others until we see him again.”
In December 2024, his family confirmed that the Duck Dynasty alum had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Months later, son Willie told Us Weekly during an exclusive interview that his dad is “not doing well at all.”
Scroll down to see the Robertson family’s tributes to Phil:
“This is it right here!” Sadie wrote via Instagram on Monday, May 26, alongside a throwback video of Phil. “I’ve been overwhelmed today by all of the texts, DMs, posts, messages, articles, and words that have been sent and spoken about Papaw Phil and how he impacted so many. I wrote in my post yesterday that he touched ‘thousands,’ and I can confidently correct that now to millions.”
She continued, “I can’t stop thinking about how he lived in the middle of nowhere, in a small, humble home with no cell phone or computer, and yet his life touched millions with the hope of Jesus. He reminds me of people in the Bible. Not many lived with the end goal in mind as much as he did, and not many chose to spend their lives telling everyone they encountered like he did. He really believed it, and I know that he is alive in Christ fully today! What a life of authenticity. What a legend.”
Christian Huff“Only had a couple years to spend with @officialphilrobertson but man were the few ones fun!” Sadie’s husband wrote via Instagram on Monday alongside snaps with Phil. “There truly was no one like you and there never will be. We’ll miss you and I’ll keep working hard to blow a duck call that you’d approve of! Enjoy the reception because there’s many up there waiting to greet you!”
“I remember Phil’s many prayers on Memorial Day and all the times with my dad. I don’t have enough words to tell of all of it, perhaps it will take months or years of remembering,” Willie wrote via Instagram on Monday while sharing snaps through the years with Phil.
He continued, “Looking back at pics I noticed he was always looking at me funny, prolly trying to figure out, ‘How did this boy turn out like this?’ I remember in 8th grade bringing my boombox in the living room and doing a break dance routine for him as he sat on his recliner. He just looked strangely at me and said, ‘Well, I’ve never seen anything quite like that!’ I took it as a compliment.”
Willie recalled going into Phil’s room at the end of his life and doing another dance, to which his dad replied, “Will, you got moves I didn’t know you had.”
“Not sure why I was always dancing in front of Phil. Maybe I figured it was the last thing he would think I would do, so I just did it,” Willie wrote. “He taught me many things in life and most without ever saying a word. I watched him, and knew he had figured out so many things. Most importantly, he taught me the value of sharing my faith with others. He was the Real Deal, the same on Sundays as Fridays. Most of our conversations were not about hunting or business, but about sharing the Gospel.”
Willie added that his dad was “never more proud” than when he printed his book Gospeler, which he wanted his dad to read first.
“I wanted him to know what he had passed down to me. He read it in one sitting and said, ‘That’s the best explanation of the Good News I have ever read…and you were so nice about it!’” he recalled. “That made me laugh because sometimes he would forget about the nice part:).”
He continued, “The last words he said to me as I leaned down over his weakened body was ‘You’re my brother.’ It made total sense to me. He always told me we were coworkers in the Kingdom of God. Maybe that’s why I always just called him Phil. Not sure if he is up in Heaven now doing his own dance moves for our Father.”
Willie continued his message by thanking Phil for raising him “the right way” and teaching him
“the most important lesson to prepare me for the day you passed on.” He concluded, Not sure how people deal with loss without the Lord. We may be wrong about all this….but I doubt it! Sleep well Dad, can’t wait to see you.”
“Just a handful of my many favorite memories ????,” Korie wrote via Instagram on Monday. “Thank you @officialphilrobertson for showing us all how to live a life ???? sold out on the greatest commandments: love for God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength and love for your neighbor as yourself.”
She continued, “Once you grasped ahold of just how great God’s love is, and how unending is His grace through Jesus, you never looked back. What I think is so remarkable, you didn’t want it only for yourself, you wanted every single person on the planet to know how much God loves them too.”
Korie noted that Phil loved his family “well” and taught them “so much about how to live with gratefulness and love on this earth, about the things that really matter, how to cook, and skin a frog, ha, how to change and grow, how to love and honor Miss Kay, how to respect and build up your sons to love the Lord, how to make God’s strength shine in weakness and vulnerability, and how to never lack in zeal for the Gospel.”
She concluded, “We honor you today and are so very happy, happy, happy for your life with the Father that you are experiencing now! What a life ????????????.”
“My papaw phil is now where he always longed to be — with God, his Father. I miss him already & can not wait to see him again one day. ????,” Bella wrote via Instagram on Monday alongside a throwback photo of her and Phil.
John Luke Robertson“Thankful for Papaw’s Phil life and everything he taught me. He will live on Heaven and in the family, skills, and stories he’s leaving behind,” John Luke wrote via Instagram on Monday with an old photo of him and Phil. “We got to sing Victory in Jesus one last time and in that room in the last days I’ve never felt that to be more true. He believed in redemption and resurrection with everything he had, and I know both have come to pass in this life and will come to pass in the next.”
