“I’ve got Todd over here being dramatic."
Phil Robertson shared a short-but-sweet message with his granddaughter prior to his death.
The 79-year-old “Duck Dynasty” patriarch, who shares four children — Willie, 53, Jase, 55, Jep, 46, and Alan — with his wife Kay Robertson, died on May 25 after a short battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Jase Robertson confirmed the Alzheimer’s diagnosis in a Dec. 6 episode of his “Unashamed” podcast.
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In a tribute post, Phil Robertson’s granddaughter, Sadie Robertson (one of Willie Robertson’s six kids with wife Korie Robertson), shared a carousel of photos of her and her Papaw Phil, as she referred to him as.
In the caption, she revealed “one of the last things” her grandfather said to her.
“Full strength ahead!” she recalled of the message.
Sadie Robertson’s post included a photo of Phil Robertson speaking at her wedding (she married Christian Huff in 2019) and a snap of her holding her grandfather’s hand leading up to his death.
Another photo showed Phil and Kay Robertson holding hands in front of Sadie Robertson and Huff, who were holding their two kids — Honey James, 4, and Haven Belle, 2 — in their arms.
She opened her caption with a Bible verse (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV) that read, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Sadie Robertson said she “thought about this verse” as she sat with Phil Robertson earlier that day.
“He has already experienced this on earth—going from dead to alive by the power of Christ!” she wrote.
“It was his testimony that changed his life, our families life, and thousands of others,” she continued. “Now he is experiencing it in the fullness. Fully alive in Christ. The new has come.”
On May 26, Sadie Robertson shared an old video of Phil Robertson talking about his faith.
“I wrote in my post yesterday that he touched “thousands,” and I can confidently correct that now to millions,” she wrote in the caption.
“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,” she added.
‘Duck Dynasty’ family pays tribute to Phil Robertson on social media
Phil Robertson’s family wasted no time in showing how much he will be missed.
In a post on X, published May 25, Jase Robertson (his second-oldest son) wrote that his father “will be missed but we know he is in good hands.”
“Our family is good because God is very good!” he added. “We will see him again!”
Sadie Robertson’s parents, Willie and Korie Robertson, thanked their fans and followers for the love and prayers they’ve received in the wake of Phil Robertson’s death in a joint Instagram post.
“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,” they wrote in the caption.
The couple, who also share daughters Rebecca and Bella, and sons John Luke, Will and Rowdy, added that they were having a private service for now, but will soon have a public celebration of his life.
“We know so many of you love him and have been impacted by his life,” they wrote in the caption.
Phil Robertson’s death comes more than five months after Jase Robertson revealed that his father was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
“It's causing problems with his entire body," Jase Robertson said in the Dec. 6 episode of his podcast, per People. "He's just not doing well. He's really struggling."
On the April 2 episode, Jase Robertson provided an update on his father’s illness.
"We're making him comfortable, and we're doing the best we can. I think that's just what you do,” he said, adding that his father wasn’t doing that well physically.
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A&E’s “Duck Dynasty” premiered in 2012 and ran for 11 seasons, eventually coming to an end in 2017.
