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Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson has died at the age of 79, his family confirmed in various social media posts shared on Sunday (May 25).
"We celebrate today that our father, husband, and grandfather, Phil Robertson, is now with the Lord," Robertson's family wrote on his Facebook account. "He reminded us often of the words of Paul, 'you do not grieve like those who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.'
"Thank you for the love and prayers of so many whose lives have been impacted by his life saved by grave, by his bold faith, and by his desire to tell everyone who would listen the Good News of Jesus. We are grateful for his life on earth and will continue the legacy of love for God and love for others until we see him again."
Phil's son, Jase, had previously revealed that his father was in the "early stages" of Alzheimer's disease during an episode of the Unashamed with the Robertson Family podcast released on December 6.
"Phil's not doing well. I think I spoke on the 1000th podcast. We were trying to figure out the diagnosis, but according to the doctors, they are sure that he has some sort of blood disease causing all kinds of problems," Jase said.
Jase said, at the time, that the disease had "accelerated, and it's causing problems with his entire body."
"And he has early stages of Alzheimer's. So, if you put those things together, he's just not doing well. He's really struggling," he added.
Robertson was the founder of the outdoor recreation company Duck Commander, developing and patenting the company's namesake duck call prior to the A&E reality series Duck Dynasty featuring his family from 2012 to 2017. The Louisiana also started at quarterback ahead of Pro Football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw at Louisiana Tech at Louisiana Tech before ending his football career in 1968.