Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson dead at 79
Phil Robertson has died at the age of 79.
The former 'Duck Dynasty' star has passed away six months after his family shared his Alzheimer's battle.
His son Willie Robertson and daughter-in-law Korie Robertson confirmed in an Instagram post: 'We celebrate today that our father, husband, and grandfather, Phil Robertson, is now with the Lord. He reminded us often of the words of Paul, 'you do not grieve like those who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
'Thank you for the love and prayers of so many whose lives have been impacted by his life saved by grace, 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."
The family will hold a private serve before a "public celebration" of his life.
They concluded: 'We know so many of you love him and have been impacted by his life. We're having a private service for now, but we'll share details soon about a public celebration of his life".
As well as Alzheimer's, Phil had a blood disease.
First airing on A+E in 2012, reality show 'Duck Dynasty' ran for 11 seasons. It followed Phil, the founder of Duck Commander, a company that made duck calls and other products, and his family.
The network said in a statement: 'We are saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Robertson, a hunting industry pioneer and the patriarch of the beloved Robertson family.
'Our thoughts are with them during this difficult time. We extend our deepest condolences and respect their privacy as they grieve.'
Korie and Willie have a new spin-off reality series, 'Duck Dynasty: The Revival', which hits screens on May 28.
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