On Sunday, May 25, Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson died following a tough battle with Alzheimer’s disease and other health issues.
After taking some time away to grieve and be with family, Phil’s sons Jase and Al, who are anchors on the “Unashamed” podcast, returned to share details about Phil’s passing and his funeral.
The funeral, which was a family service of 300-400 people, was perfectly suited for Phil. The family worshipped, preached the gospel, and celebrated Phil — not because of what he did, but because of what Christ did for and through him.
“I had to kind of detach myself,” Jase admits, “because Phil had this famous line that he said many times: ‘When I die, don’t cry. You can sing; you can dance; you can do a little jig, but I made it.'”
The funeral was held in the same church — down to “the same room” — that Phil gave his life to Christ in. Per Miss Kay’s request, all four Robertson brothers — Jase, Al, Willie, and Jep — spoke. Phyllis, Phil’s daughter from an extramarital affair before he became a Christian, also spoke. Some of Phil’s grandchildren led a powerful worship service that brought many to tears.
Uncle Si, Phil’s brother, provided some needed comic relief, as he “kept talking back to Willie throughout his entire [speech],” even though he declined the opportunity to give his own speech.
“He was the sidekick to Phil and Kay through their first years of dating and probably 10 years of their marriage, and so he turned into the echo, which was funny,” laughs Jase.
At the grave site, Phil was laid to rest next to his sister Jan Dasher, who played a pivotal role in his coming to Jesus.
Jase’s son Reed says that hundreds of people, many of whom had never met Phil but had only watched his content, reached out in the days following his death to share how their lives were touched by his unshakable faith.
“Heaven got a titan,” he says of his grandfather.
In the final weeks before his death, Jase admits he was struggling watching his dad suffer.
“Every time I thought he was completely gone as far as communication-wise, something would happen, usually with the grandkids or the wives or whatever, and he would just lift up and say something,” he reflects. “My daughter started singing one night. … He had done nothing all day to show any signs that he was with us, and he reached out his hand and held her hand.”
“It hit me in that moment. I thought God does a lot of good work in suffering,” he adds, citing Romans 5. “My daughter is never going to forget that moment.”
In his last conversation with Phil, Jase told his dad, “You’re going to meet Jesus,” and Phil suddenly “came to,” “grabbed [Jase’s] hand,” and eagerly said, “Let’s go.”
To hear more about Phil’s funeral, the family’s final time on Earth with him, and the incredible legacy he leaves behind, watch the episode above.
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