Less than a week after Phil Robertson died, his family celebrated his life in a private funeral and burial.
Phil Robertson, patriarch of the beloved Robertson family of Duck Dynasty fame, died Sunday, May 25, at the age of 79. His family shared the news of his passing in a joint statement shared to social media.
Family members later shared personal memories and tributes to Phil on their personal social media pages. Phil’s brother Si sat down for two podcast episodes following Phil’s death. In the podcasts, Si emotionally addressed Phil’s life, legacy, and his death, and told listeners how he knew his brother had died before he even received the phone call with the news.
- “I knew before the phone call came. I got up and I felt totally alone,” Si said. “I’m never alone, but I felt so lonely.”
Si added that he woke up feeling like something was wrong. “Something’s not right. I don’t feel right,” he said. “Then Phillip called and said, ‘Phil passed away at 5 o’clock.’ I said, ‘Well, I already knew.’ I’d already felt it.”
Phil Robertson Is Laid To Rest
After Phil’s death, the family announced that he would be memorialized in a private family ceremony, but that a public memorial service would likely follow at a later date.
Family and friends shared that the celebration of Phil Robertson’s life took place on Thursday, May 29. Phil’s granddaughters, Bella and Rebecca, shared photos of the program for Phil’s service.
On Friday, Alan and Jase Robertson, sons of Phil and Kay, returned to their Unashamed podcast to talk about the funeral and Phil’s death. It marked the first public address from the brothers since their dad’s passing.
Al and Jase were joined by Jase’s son Reed and Zach Dasher who shared some details of the funeral that was closed to the public. They shared that one of Kay’s requests was that each of their sons speak at Phil’s funeral. Al, Jase, and Willie delivered solo addresses, while the youngest brother, Jep, was joined by their sister Phyllis to speak to the crowd of roughly 400 people.
Few other details were given about the funeral itself, but the men shared that the service not only reflected on Phil Robertson’s life but also served as a time of worship and thankfulness for the family as they honored his incredible legacy of faith.
Phil Robertson’s Last Days
Each of the men shared memories of Phil and testimonies about how Phil’s life impacted theirs. One of the most touching memories came when Jase recalled a sweet moment his daughter Mia shared with Phil just before his death. Jase admitted that he personally struggled with how much Phil had been suffering and that there were times when he thought that Phil was “completely gone communication-wise.”
But something would happen, “usually with the grandkids or the wives,” and Phil would surprise them and “just lift up and say something.”
- “He whispered to Sadie, ‘full strength ahead.’ My daughter started singing one night, and just [had] tears flowing down her face. He had done nothing all day. Didn’t show any signs that he was with us, and he reached out his hand and held her hand.” Jase shared.
Jase also revealed his last conversation with his dad, a story he shared at Phil’s funeral.
- “I didn’t even think he was aware, and I was telling him, ‘It’s okay. We’re good.’ I thought I needed to give him permission because he was just digressing so much,” Jase recalled. “But, when I said, ‘You’re gonna meet Jesus,’ he just came to. And he grabbed my hand and he’s like, ‘Let’s go … take me, take me.’”
Phil Robertson died the next day.
The episode of Unashamed concluded with Al Robertson showing that he had brought two items: His dad’s Bible, which had been opened on his casket the previous day, to Matthew 28, and the large photo of Phil that was on display during his funeral.
How is Miss Kay doing since Phil’s death?
The family revealed that Kay and Phil’s grandson Reed and Phil’s daughter Phyllis were with Miss Kay when Phil took his last breath. Reed stepped in to comfort and care for Kay in the days following.
In a recent episode of the Duck Call Room podcast, Phil’s nephew, Jay Stone, shared that Miss Kay is staying with him and his wife, Anna.
- “Miss Kay is staying with us now,” Jay said. “And she’s doing good. She’s surrounded by her family. There’s people in and out. She doing good. She’s eating good.”
Watch Al, Jase, Zach, and Reed talk about Phil’s final days and his funeral in the video below.
