Duck Dynasty fans are mourning the loss of the show’s patriarch, Phil Robertson, who died at the age of 79 on Sunday, May 25, following a battle with Alzheimer’s.
Phil’s death was confirmed by his children, including sons Willie, 53, and Jase, 55, on Sunday. “My dad has gone to be with the Lord today! He will be missed but we know he is in good hands, and our family is good because God is very good! We will see him again!” Jase wrote via X.
In a statement, Willie and his wife, Korie, said, “We celebrate today that our father, husband, and grandfather, Phil Robertson, is now with the Lord.”
The statement continued, “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.”
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Meanwhile, Willie and Korie’s daughter, Sadie, 27, paid tribute to her grandfather via Instagram. “As I was sitting with Papaw Phil today, I thought about this verse… he has already experienced this on earth—going from dead to alive by the power of Christ!” Sadie wrote alongside a series of photos of her and Phil. “It was his testimony that changed his life, our families [sic] life, and thousands of others. Now he is experiencing it in the fullness. Fully alive in Christ. The new has come. One of the last things he said to me was ‘full strength ahead!’ Amen!”
Jase first revealed in December 2024 on the reality TV family’s “Unashamed With the Robertson Family” podcast that Phil had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Over the last several months, the family has shared updates on Phil’s health decline and, more recently, his final days.
Scroll down to read what Phil’s family said about his last days and his illness:
Phil Robertson’s Last Days
In an exclusive Us Weekly cover interview published on Tuesday, May 20, ahead of the family’s return to TV on A&E’s Duck Dynasty: The Revival, Willie said, “Dad’s not doing well at all. It’s definitely progressing.”
Willie added that family matriarch, Miss Kay, is also battling a similar illness. “And Mom has shown the same type of symptoms of Alzheimer’s or dementia. It’s just part of life — and Mom has her good days,” he said.
A day earlier, on the Monday, May 19, episode of “Unashamed,” Phil and Kay’s eldest son, Al, 60, gave an update on his father. Al said that even in his final weeks, Phil remained steadfast in his Christian beliefs.
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“From time to time, I would pray over Dad as well and he’d usually pat me on my hand and say, ‘You did good. You did good,’” Al said. “It’s interesting, even when our mind is broken, our physical bodies, which includes our mind, the Holy Spirit of God is still living in you.”
“In Dad’s case, with dealing with what he’s dealing with, somehow through the Holy Spirit, those moments of prayer, he has an understanding of a spiritual connection even though his mind is broken,” Al continued.
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Jase first broke the news about his father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis on the “Unashamed” podcast in December 2024.
“According to the doctors, they’re sure that he has some sort of blood disease that’s causing all kinds of problems,” Jase said at the time. “It’s accelerated and it’s causing problems with his entire body.”
Jase added that the diagnosis was difficult for his father both mentally and physically, sharing, “He’s just not doing well. He’s really struggling.”
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“He keeps saying, ‘I’m gonna get back to the podcast,’” Jase said. “But I’m like, ‘Well Phil, you can barely walk around without crying out in pain, and your memory is not what it once was.’ He’s like, ‘Tell me about it.’ So he is literally unable to — I think he would agree — to just sit down and have a conversation.”
In April, Jase shared another update on his dad’s health via the family’s podcast. “Tell you the truth, it hasn’t been good,” he said. “I’m just giving the blunt truth. I’ll say, ‘Not good.’”
“We’re doing the best we can,” Jase added. “So I think that’s just what you do.”
Phil is survived by his sons with Miss Kay: Al, Jase, Willie and Jep, 46. He also has a daughter, Phyllis, born out of an affair he had in the 1970s.
