Robert Irwin, the son of the late Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, got emotional when he talked about the impact his father had on the lives of others.

Death is a sad and painful part of life. Losing a loved one is never easy, and the experience will always result in a ton of hurt and heartache. That is especially true when losing someone as close as a parent or sibling. That sting will linger for decades and likely for the rest of your life.

Robert Irwin knows what it’s like to lose a parent. His father, Steve Irwin, was killed during an interaction with a stingray. At the time of his dad’s death, Robert was only a child. He, his mother and his sister were left to a brave life without their beloved father and husband. 

Years after his dad’s passing, on a recent podcast appearance, Robert choked up when speaking about his father. He specifically talked about how his father had touched and impacted other people's lives. 

He mentioned that he often has random people approach him and inform him how much they loved and adored his late father.

“This is probably the most powerful thing,” Robert said. “People will come up to me, and it’s, it’s a very emotional thing. And people will say, ‘I grew up without a father figure’ a lot of time, you know? People will say whether that’s through death, whether, you know, whatever circumstance, that these people will say, ‘I grew up without a father figure, and your dad, Robert, was, was a father figure to me.’”

Robert understands that he was incredibly blessed to have the father he had, someone who meant so much to others, even if it was just for a short time.

“I lucked out,” he said. “I really lucked out big time.”

Ephesians 6:4 “And, you fathers, do not make your children angry: but give them training in the teaching and fear of the Lord.”