Phil Robertson Has Passed Away After Months Of Declining Health

May 26, 2025 1

After suffering with Alzheimer’s and other ailments, Phil Robertson has passed away at age 79.

The Robertson Family shared the sad news on Instagram:

(from AP) – Phil Robertson, who turned his small duck calling interest in the sportsman’s paradise of northern Louisiana into a big business and conservative cultural phenomenon, died Sunday, according to his family. He was 79.

Robertson’s family announced in December on their Unashamed With the Robertson Family podcast that the patriarch of the clan had Alzheimer’s disease. The statement on social media from Robertson’s daughter-in-law didn’t mention how he died.

“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,” Korie Robertson wrote.

Phil Robertson skyrocketed to fame in the early 2010s when the A&E network created a reality show, presented like a sitcom. It followed the adventures of Robertson, his three sons — including Willie, who runs the family’s Duck Commander company, their wives and a host of other relatives and friends.

Phil Robertson and his boys were immediately recognizable by their long beards and their conservative, Christian and family-oriented beliefs.

A lifelong Louisiana man

Robertson was born in north Louisiana and spent his life in the woods and lakes that make up the region called Sportsman’s Paradise.

Robertson played football at Louisiana Tech and taught school. He also loved to hunt and created a duck call in the early 1970s that he said replicated the exact sound of a duck.

The calls were the centerpiece of the Duck Commander business Robertson would grow into a multimillion-dollar enterprise before A&E came calling.

The family just didn’t sell outdoor and hunting gear, but a lifestyle.

“The Robertsons face everything from beavers to business deals in their own special way — with a twist of downhome practicality and a sharp sense of humor,” A&E wrote in its promotion for “Duck Dynasty.”

Tributes pour in

Appreciations for Robertson appeared on social media shortly after this death was announced.

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas wrote on X, “The great #PhilRobertson passed today. He loved Jesus & he was utterly fearless. One of my fondest memories was duck hunting with Phil — he was the best shot I ever met. And, in 2016, he recorded this amazing commercial for me. Rest in peace, my friend.”

“Saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Robertson — a man of deep faith, bold conviction, and unwavering love for his family,” wrote Ben Carson, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary, also on X. “I’ll never forget the time I spent with Phil and his wonderful family at their homestead in West Monroe, LA. We rode through the swamp stopping at his favorite duck blinds before being welcomed by Miss Kay with a warm, home-cooked meal, surrounded by their extended family and close friends.”

A&E shared their own tribute to the “Duck Dynasty” X account, writing: “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.”

View this post on Instagram

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! #PhilRobertson #Jesus

— Jase Robertson (@JaseDuckman) May 26, 2025

Franklin Graham shared on social media: “Please join me in praying for Miss Kay and all of the Robertson family as Phil Robertson has passed away. Now he is in the presence of his Lord and Savior. I always appreciated that Phil stood firm with the Word of God and took every opportunity to talk about his faith in Jesus Christ. He and some of his family came to encourage the wounded veterans and their spouses at our @SamaritansPurse Operation Heal Our Patriots program in Alaska back in 2014, and he came to @TheBGLibrary to speak on two occasions. There’s no question, he will be greatly missed. May God especially comfort all of the family during this time.”