‘Alaskan Bush People’: Bear Brown Unearths Sweet Throwback Photo With Dad Billy

Nearly two months after Alaskan Bush People patriarch Billy Brown‘s death, his son Bear Brown is recalling fond memories of his father as he continues to mourn his loss. In a post shared to his Instagram account Monday, Bear shared a photo he recently uncovered in the wake of his father’s passing, taking a moment to reflect on the pain that still lingers.

Shared with his more than 200,000 followers, the throwback photo showed Bear, his brother Gabriel Brown, and their father standing beneath a night sky. According to Bear, the photo was snapped on the very same day “we had just hooked up a telescope,” and they were taking a moment to “look at the moment.” Reflecting on the moment forever captured in the photo, which the Discovery Channel star said he recently found and “wanted to share,” Bear said “it was a very good Day!” Bear went on to write, “Da passed away over a month ago and it still feels like yesterday! I miss him so much… I can honestly say, my Dad never let me down, not once! I love and miss him!”

Bear’s post was met with an outpouring support from fans, who came to know the family as they followed their adventures in the Alaskan bush, and later the Pacific Northwest, on Discovery’s Alaskan Bush People, which first premiered in 2014. In a tribute to Brown, one person wrote, “Rest Easy Billy x fly with the eagles and run with the wolves,” with another person sharing that they are “glad” Bear has “photo memories of him like this! And so much video to remember him by.” Somebody else wrote, “we miss him too. Keeping ya in our prayers.”

The Monday post marked just the latest Bear has shared since his father’s passing in February. Just a day earlier, Bear got candid with his heartbreak as he shared a photo of himself with a full moon in the background. He captioned the post, “tonight my heart breaks.”

Brown died on Feb. 7 at the age of 68 after suffering a seizure. His son Bear was the first to confirm news of his passing, tragically sharing, “we are heartbroken to announce that our beloved patriarch Billy Brown passed away last night.” A Discovery Channel staple, the network also released a statement, which read, “We are devastated to hear of Billy Brown’s sudden passing. He has been part of the Discovery family for years — a trailblazer, a lovely man and most definitely one of a kind. Our heart is with his family and those that knew him and loved him as they deal with this devastating loss.” The network aired a special episode of Alaskan Bush People, titled The Legacy of Billy Brown, in late February. The episode featured never-before-seen footage of Brown as well as emotional messages from his children.