‘Duck Dynasty’ Star Willie Robertson Recalls Dad Phil’s Last Words to Him

A day after Phil Robertson, the patriarch of the Duck Dynasty clan, died at 79 May 25, his son Willie recalled his father’s last words to him.

Weakened by early-stage Alzheimer’s disease and other health problems, Phil simply told his son, “You’re my brother,” the 53-year-old shared on Instagram. “It made total sense to me. He always told me we were coworkers in the Kingdom of God.”

Last year, the family — who are back on A&E with a new series after an eight-year hiatus — announced that Phil was failing. Recently, Willie’s wife, Korie, 51, told a news outlet that he was “declining really rapidly,” adding that the end was “so hard to watch.”

Phil was initially a reluctant reality star, having made his millions in Louisiana in the hunting and outdoor recreation business Duck Commander.

The “guided reality” show, in which producers set up premises that the extended family made their own, captivated audiences when it premiered, scoring more than 11 million viewers by 2013’s season 4.

With his credo of “faith, family and ducks,” Phil’s conservative opinions got him in trouble more than once, however. His comments on gay marriage, for example, got him briefly banned from the show.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Willie Robertson (@realwilliebosshog)

With the reboot already underway, sources revealed that Phil’s illness and death will not be a part of the reboot.

His widow Kay, 77, does appear, though Korie told a news outlet that she’s having health issues as well. “We’re just thankful that Kay got to be on some of the earlier episodes,” she said. “We’re going to really cherish those.”