‘Duck Dynasty’ star Phil Robertson gave his family one simple instruction before he died: ‘Do not...’
‘Duck Dynasty’ recently lost a beloved member of the family — Phil Robertson. The 79-year-old patriarch died on May 25, 2025, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Now, one of his sons is sharing a heartwarming detail about his final days. Phil leaves behind a large family, including his wife Kay Robertson, five children, sixteen grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren. His son Willie opened up about Phil’s unwavering faith and his final wish: “Phil had such a strong faith. He told us before, ‘Do not cry at my funeral. I know where I'm going,’” Willie told The Blast. He also praised his father’s deep belief in God and the lasting legacy he leaves behind.
View this post on Instagram
“What a life he lived. We heard that from thousands of people, the people he impacted. Phil would have wanted us to do exactly what we're doing,” the proud son added. Willie proudly raved about the Robertson family’s deeply rooted faith. But he also clarified that their devotion didn’t come from a place of influence. It wasn’t to “preach to people or convert people.” For the unversed, ‘Duck Dynasty’ is a reality show that features the lives of the Robertson family, who became wealthy from their family-operated business, Duck Commander. It was Phil who founded the company and built it into an empire.
Following his demise, the Duck Commander became his legacy, continued by the next generation of the Robertson family. The show ran for 11 successful seasons and created a strong fanbase. In 2025, the series was renewed with a new title called ‘Duck Dynasty: The Revival.’ Willie is one of the main cast members of the renewed series alongside his wife Korie and other Robertson family members. While reflecting on his late father’s life and legacy, Willie admitted that he hopes to have the same impact on the world.
“I hope to have a funeral like that where people feel that way about me as well,” he added. In an earlier episode of ‘Duck Dynasty: The Revival’, which featured a small glimpse of severely ill Phil, he described daughter-in-law Korie as special to their family. Speaking to TV Insider, Korie reflected on her father-in-law’s last on-screen appearance. “The timing was a little surreal. Our show came out the week Phil passed. It was really special to our family that we had that one little clip,” she said. “We did film that one little thing where he gave Willie the thumbs up. It was really special because for our family it felt like, okay, this is his opportunity to pass on the torch to us,” she gushed.
Korie also pointed out that her father-in-law, who was also a professional hunter, left a legacy that will be cherished forever. She declared that the Robertson family will ensure that Phil’s legacy survives the test of time. “We are passing on Phil's legacy because his legacy was first about faith,” she explained. “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,” Korie added. She also revealed that the family continues to run the Duck Commander in memory of Phil.
