Allison Parliament, the founder of Duck Duck Jeep, died of “natural causes” in her Canada home on June 22.
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Allison’s mother, Cheryl Parliament, recently confirmed her death via a statement on Facebook.
“Thank you all for being patient as I made the trip to get to Allison. We were waiting for confirmation of her sudden death. Allison passed away on June 22nd at her home in Canada of natural causes, it was peacefully,” she wrote on Facebook.
“We are still processing all of this and want to thank everyone who has made posts,” Cheryl continued. “Even though we have not been able to respond, we are reading them, and it gives us peace to see how happy our daughter made people in the Jeep community and beyond.
“Keep on Ducking and spread the kindness she started,” she concluded.
Countless individuals have shared their sympathy and condolences with the Parliament family. In fact, the Toledo Jeep Fest posted a statement on its website as well.
“The Toledo Jeep Fest family is mourning the recent death of a friend and advocate of the Jeep community – Allison Parliament. She believed that small gestures could make a significant impact, and she proved this through her commitment to spreading smiles one small duck at a time.
“Parliament’s random acts of kindness gave birth to a core part of global Jeep culture,” TFJ continued.
Duck Duck Jeep Founder’s Legacy Lives On
TFJ’s statement outlined Allison’s DuckDuckJeep initiative and the legacy she leaves behind.
“The uplifting and virally beautiful DuckDuckJeep movement actually began with a negative experience,” the statement read. “Parliament, 36, a native of Orilla, Ontario was driving her Jeep home from Alabama in 2020, where she lived, when she found herself in an angry confrontation at a gas station. A man noticed her U.S. plates and approached, yelling that she needed to return to her country, saying she was ‘a dirty American spreading COVID and just wanted to hurt people.’
“Parliament, a dual U.S. citizen, was shoved and bruised during the confrontation but resolved to do something positive and fun as a counter gesture,” TFJ continued.
“She bought a bag of rubber ducks and planned to prank her friend, hiding them around the house. But when she ran into a nice Jeep in a parking lot, she decided to use one of the ducks to place as a little gesture to say, hey, ‘nice Jeep.’ The owner noticed her and came out to investigate.
“This encounter with a stranger was completely different. He loved the idea and suggested that she should share it on social media with the hashtag #duckduckjeep.”
While Allison could have easily stewed in her bitterness after her initial negative encounter at the gas station, she decided to create something beautiful and meaningful. Though she might be gone physically, her spirit and legacy will live on.