Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson dies at 79

Duck Dynasty family patriarch Phil Robertson has died at the age of 79, according to a Sunday night statement from the Robertson family. The Robertsons rose to fame in 2012 when A&E began airing a reality TV show about the Louisiana family and their business making duck calls and other hunting and outdoor gear. The family, unabashed about their Christian faith, soon emerged as conservative pop culture icons. Phil Robertson was briefly suspended from the show around 2013 after severe blowback for publicly sharing his beliefs on Biblical marriage. The show wrapped in 2017 after 11 seasons and will restart next month as Duck Dynasty: The Revival.

How is the family remembering Phil Robertson? The family said in a statement that Robertson often reminded them not to grieve his passing because his faith in Jesus would bring him to the Lord. Roberton’s son and fellow reality star, Jase Robertson, said his father will be missed, but he’s in good hands. Jase publicly shared his father’s Alzheimer's disease diagnosis on the Robertson family podcast, Unashamed with the Robertson Family, in December.

One of the last things he told me was, “Full strength ahead! Amen!” granddaughter Sadie Robertson Huff wrote in a separate statement. She added that his testimony changed his life, his family, and the lives of thousands more. He’s now experiencing fullness with Christ, she concluded.

Samaritan's Purse CEO Franklin Graham mourned Phil’s passing in a Sunday night statement, asking prayers for Robertson’s widow, Kay, along with the whole family. Robertson stood firm in God’s word and took every chance he had to talk about his faith, Graham wrote. A number of politicians also mourned him, including Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., Dr. Ben Carson, and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Dig deeper: Read WORLD’s 2013 interview with Phil and Kay Robertson just before his temporary suspension from the show.