Amora Snowbird ‘Bird’ Brown of the Alaskan Bush People could have used her dad’s support following the news that she would need a hysterectomy to eliminate the chances of a cancerous tumor growing in her ovaries. Bird’s narrative formed part of the emotional season 14 premiere of Alaskan Bush People on 2nd October 2022.

The Brown clan is still acclimatizing to the death of their patriarch, Billy Brown. Billy passed away unexpectedly in early February 2021. A spokesperson for Discovery tweeted:

“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.”

Billy Brown died due to a fatal seizure while on the North Star Ranch

Billy Brown passed away due to a fatal seizure while on the family’s property in Washington. The family moved from Alaska to Washington so Ami, the matriarch, could access cancer treatment at the UCLA Medical Center.

The filming crew was present at the property, capturing the frantic efforts to get help for Billy Brown. “Hi, I have someone not breathing,” a female crew member told a 911 dispatcher. “I need an ambulance like, as soon as possible.” 

The crew member told the operator that Bear, one of Billy’s sons, had told her to call for assistance because he couldn’t get through to emergency services. “I could hear them in the background telling him, ‘Wake up! Wake up!’” she said.

The reporting officer wrote that emergency personnel performed CPR on Billy without success. A spokesperson for the Washington Sheriff’s Office told The Sun:

“Medics and fire were on the scene an hour and a half before the Sheriff’s Office was called. We respond to all deaths. At this point, nothing suspicious or criminal.”

In the years before his death, Billy had been in and out of hospital. In 2019, he was hospitalized and had surgery due to severe respiratory problems. Doctors advised him that high altitude wasn’t good for him, but Billy ignored their instructions. 

Bear alluded to his dad’s insistence on living life the way he wanted via his Instagram announcement of Billy’s death:

“He lived his life on his terms, off the grid and off the land and taught us to live like that as well. We plan to honor his legacy going forward and to continue with his dream.”

Brown’s family shared touching tributes about their departed patriarch

Days before Billy’s passing, he somewhat predicted his passing. Brown said: “God has blessed me so much, but I won’t be around forever. To me, the most important thing is to make sure that the family core would go on. This is an important time. The ranch will go on forever as long as it’s set up right. The ranch must keep growing.”

Brown rightly predicted that he wouldn’t live forever, but his family didn’t expect him to die so suddenly. “It’s really hard to think about life without dad,” Bird said in an episode of Alaskan Bush People. “Dad has always been my hero and he always will be.”

Rain, Bird’s sister, described Billy as her guardian angel. “No matter what happened, he would always be there,” she said. 

Joshua’ Bam Bam’ Brown, Billy’s son, captioned a September 2021 Instagram selfie with a tribute to his dad. Brown wrote that his parents taught him to never give up, even when the obstacles appear insurmountable. He continued:

“Da never cared about money or fame. What he did care about was family, faith and freedom. Da once said that if our show made just one person smile, and brought light into just one persons’ life, even for just a moment, then it was worth all of it.”

Bear Brown told Entertainment Weekly that the family took Billy’s death pretty hard. He appreciated everyone for their condolence messages and Ami, his mother, for holding the family together. “Mom has actually been the stone – she’s been the strongest, to be honest,” Bear said. 

Bear said the family leaned on each other for support. “Sometimes they’d lean on you, and then other times you’d lean on them,” he explained. “It’s definitely the hardest thing that my family has ever been through, but it has been easier having other members of the pack to lean on for sure.”

Bear referred to Billy as his best friend and hero. “A lot reminds me of him,” Bear said. “I spend a lot of time reflecting on the past and just remembering him a lot. Da meant a lot to me.”