'Duck Dynasty' star Willie Robertson shares late father Phil Robertson's final message
In May, Phil Robertson, famous for founding the Duck Commander hunting company that became the focus of his A&E show, died at the age of 79. The "Duck Dynasty" family patriarch had previously battled multiple health conditions, including Alzheimer's disease.
"Phil had been struggling with Alzheimer's for a while," Willie, 53, said. "It was on our mind for sure, his condition. It's part of life."
He continued, "Phil had such a strong faith. He told us before, 'Do not cry at my funeral. I know where I'm going.'"
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"What a life he lived," Willie added. "We heard that from thousands of people, the people he impacted. Phil would have wanted us to do exactly what we're doing. Whatever is a reflection of that faith, and our show is a reflection of our faith."
"Not overtly. We're not trying to preach to people or convert people, but I think you can see the fruit in the faith of our show and our family and how it sticks together through good times and bad. That's why we are on this earth. As we move on, I think it's a reminder to all of us the time will come. I hope I have a funeral like that where people feel that way about me as well."
Phil, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in December, passed away during the same week that his family's new show "Duck Dynasty: The Revival" premiered. Though Phil did not participate in "Duck Dynasty: The Revival" due to his health issues, the series' first episode included a tribute to him.
The video begins with footage of Willie reading an introduction for the show off his laptop to Phil, who was seen sitting in an armchair.
"So ladies and gentlemen, start your engines. Only one will earn the bandana, so let the games begin. What do you think, Phil?" Willie asked.
Phil replied by giving his son a big thumb's up.
The scene faded to black as a photo of Phil appeared alongside the in-memoriam tribute.
"Ah, that was awesome!" Willie was heard saying in response to his father's gesture in the background of the tribute.
Willie's wife Korie, who joined him for the interview, told TV Insider that the timing of Phil's death was "a little surreal."
"It was really special to our family that we had that one little clip," she said. "When filming this time around, he was already in the throes of Alzheimer's, so he wasn't able to be part of the show. We did film that one little thing where he gave Willie the thumbs up."
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"It was really special because, for our family, it felt like, 'OK, this is his opportunity to pass on the torch to us,'" she continued. "It's funny to see the comments [from fans] who are like, 'The next generation are yuppies. They aren't passing things on.'
"But we are passing on Phil's legacy because his legacy was first about faith," she said. "His whole motto was faith, family, ducks, in that order. His first was faith. All our kids are living that out in really beautiful ways and family."
"That's what this show is about," Korie added. "It's about family, inner-generational family living life together and what that might look like. And then ducks. We're still running Duck Commander, the business he started from the duck call he invented years and years ago. That has been really special to carry that legacy on now after his passing."
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Phil founded Duck Commander in 1972. The "Duck Dynasty" television show premiered 40 years later, in 2012, before it ended in 2017.
During a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Willie and Korie explained how they were coping after losing Phil and how they were touched by the outpouring of support that they received from fans.
"I think it's a combination of some sadness, just we miss him, but also joy and happiness from what he believed and where he was going and all the things he was able to accomplish in his life," Willie said. "And so many people that he helped and we were reminded of that at his passing. And just so many people just flooded us with messages of how he had helped change their life, either directly or indirectly through the show or through the podcast or books he has written."
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While Willie shared that it was "tragic" watching his father suffer during his battle with Alzheimer's, he said it helped prepare the family for his passing.
"You're ready," he said. "We knew, he's ready to move on and so yeah, it's kind of mixed. But there was really more joy."
"Phil pre-warned us," he added.
"We told a lot of funny stories and just brought back all those fun memories," Korie chimed in. "It's a little bit the Robertson way. Even in the hard things, we laugh a lot through it."
Korie said they hoped future generations would be inspired by Phil's dedication to his faith and how it transformed his life.
"Just in passing down that legacy — one of the things that we've just been reminded of over and over again is just this man who lived down on the river, didn't own a cell phone or a computer — what God did with his life. Because he was just truly passionately sold out for Jesus," she said.
Korie continued, "And so I think for all of us, it's brought even more of a boldness to our faith to say like, 'Hey, we follow Jesus, and that's who we are.' And if you want to know more about it, come talk to us because it's brought a full life."
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"And a changed life," Willie added. "There would never have been a 'Duck Dynasty' show. There wouldn't have been company had his life not changed. This family would not have stayed together."
Phil's wife Kay, 77, has previously spoken out about how the couple faced marital struggles in the early years of their union due to Phil's alcoholism and infidelity before he committed to his faith.
The pair, who married in 1966, had four sons including Willie, Alan, 59, Jase, 55 and Jep, 47, as well as many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
"It's all responsible to his faith and his life change, of he and mom together to keep this family together," he said. "And now we're seeing so much fruit of that."
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