‘Alaskan Bush People’ Son Shares Spiritual Tribute Late Dad Billy

It has now been more than two months since Billy Brown died after suffering a seizure at the Brown family home in Washington state, and the Alaskan Bush People family is continuing to mourn his loss. After Discovery Channel aired a special tribute to the family patriarch, and as fans of the Brown family continue to pay homage to him on social media, one of Brown’s sons has again paid emotional tribute to his father.

On Tuesday, Bear Brown, one of Brown and wife Ami Brown’s seven children, shared his latest Instagram update, a sweet post reflecting on his father. In the post, Bear shared an image of himself, his eyes closed and holding up a hand, as he stood with a windmill and foliage in the background, the sun shining brightly. He began the caption by writing, “I miss you Da!” He went on to share that he is “trying to be the best I can and remember everything” his father taught him, adding, “As you once said! As long as I stay true to God I can’t fail!” Bear ended the post by sharing, “I wish you were here!!!!! I will always remember you! And always miss you!!! More Da I love you!”

The post proved emotional for fans, who shared their condolences and messages of support in the comments section of the post, which marked Bear’s latest tribute to his father. Taking note of the windmill in the image, one fans said they “remember watching your family put up the windmill. A lot of hard work went into that,” adding that Bear’s father “was so proud. Be strong.” Another person said their “heart just aches for you,” going on to write, “I hope and pray at some point you’re able to find peace, because I know it’s a deep valley and a deep hurt like no other.” A third person advised, “one day at a time bear! Stay in faith and you will find your way thru” and encouraged Bear to teach his son River “as your dad taught you. When in doubt take a moment pray about it and listen he will speak to you in your [heart] as he is always with you.”

Billy Brown, the Brown family patriarch, died on Sunday, Feb. 7 at the Brown family’s Washington homestead after suffering a seizure. He was 68. Bear was the one to confirm his father’s passing, sharing in a statement, “our beloved patriarch Billy Brown passed away last night” and remembering Brown as “our best friend — a wonderful and loving dad, granddad and husband” who will “be dearly missed” and “lived his life on his terms, off the grid and off the land and taught us to live like that as well.” He said he and his family “plan to honor his legacy going forward, and to continue with his dream.”

In April, Washington court papers obtained by The Sun listed the official cause of death as probably cardiac arrest, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease. Emphysema, seizures, and tobacco use also contributed to his death. A police report noted that Bear called a crew member, who then called police, after Brown was “unresponsive and had stopped breathing.” As Brown did not sign a will prior to his passing, his wife requested to be the personal representative of his estate.