'Duck Dynasty' Star Phil Robertson's Last Words to His Granddaughter Left a Lasting Impact on Her
Phil Robertson was one of the original 'Duck Dynasty' stars.
Published May 27 2025, 10:26 a.m. ET
After Duck Dynasty ended in 2017, Phil Robertson and the rest of the close-knit family continued to share life updates with fans and followers on social media. Some of those updates involved Phil's health struggles, which included an Alzheimer's disease diagnosis. And after he died on May 25, 2025, his granddaughter made a social media post to share his last words to her.
Phil was close to granddaughter Sadie Robertson, who is part of the spinoff series Duck Dynasty: The Revival. The new series follows the next generation of Robertson family members, including Phil's kids and grandchildren. Although Phil's last words before his death might not have been what he said to Sadie when she said goodbye, according to her, they are his last words to her.
Phil Robertson's last words to his granddaughter were meaningful.
On May 26, after the Robertson family began sharing news of Phil's passing on social media, Sadie made a post on her Instagram with photos of Phil from throughout his life, with and without her. In the post, Sadie shared a Bible verse in honor of her late grandfather and then wrote that she had sat with "Papaw Phil" shortly before he died.
"It was his testimony that changed his life, our [family's] life, and thousands of others," she wrote, in reference to Phil's dedication to his Christian faith. "Now he is experiencing it in the fullness. Fully alive in Christ. The new has come. One of the last things he said to me was 'full strength ahead!' Amen!"
She later shared another Instagram post about Phil and wrote about the life he lived despite being in a remote area and choosing to live without a computer or cell phone. According to Sadie, Phil still made sure he spread his faith to others and reached fans far and wide to share his own life experiences and dedication to his religion.
"I've been overwhelmed today by all of the texts, DMs, posts, messages, articles, and words that have been sent and spoken about Papaw Phil and how he impacted so many," she wrote. "I wrote in my post yesterday that he touched 'thousands,' and I can confidently correct that now to millions."
Phil Robertson's health struggles accelerated quickly.
In December 2024, Phil's son, Jase Robertson, shared on the Unashamed With the Robertson Family podcast that dad Phil had been diagnosed with "some sort of blood disease that's causing all kinds of problems." Jase also explained at the time that Phil was in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
At the time, Jase didn't share what Phil's exact prognosis was. But, he said on the podcast, things hadn't looked good for Phil. Immediately following the news of Phil's passing, his exact cause of death was not revealed. However, his health had been on a steady decline since the end of 2024, per the Robertson family on their podcast.