The country legend Dolly Parton lost her brother, Coy “Denver” Parton, on Thursday. His death arrived barely a year after she buried her husband, Carl Dean.
Coy ‘Denver’ Parton’s passing marks another heartbreaking moment for the Parton family
Before his death, Coy had lived a working-class life in Sevierville, Tennessee, according to his obituary from the Atchley Funeral Home. He ran cranes for a living and spent much of his career on bridge construction. Away from the job, he tended a homestead and spent his free time hunting.
His family did not share what caused his death. His passing marked another loss for the Parton family. Coy became the fifth of Dolly’s brothers and sister to die, joining Larry, David, Randy, and Floyd. Dolly, who has won multiple Grammys, grew up in a household of 12 kids raised by Avie Lee Owens Parton and Lee Parton.
Grief has followed the singer for more than a year now. Her marriage to Carl Dean lasted six decades before he died in March 2025, at 82. A 2019 Alzheimer’s diagnosis had kept him largely private in his final years. When he passed, Dolly honored him with an emotional Instagram tribute but kept the cause of his death to herself.
She has acknowledged that caring for Carl came at the expense of her own health. These days, she said, she is putting herself first again. Fans have worried about her for a while. Last year, she canceled her Las Vegas residency and let Tim McGraw fill in. She then canceled it completely, but promised she was getting treatment.
Dolly Parton also skipped several appearances, including her 80th birthday party at the Grand Ole Opry in January, blaming health issues like a kidney stone and an infection that kept her home on doctors’ orders.
She came back last month to open a new truck stop in Tennessee, dressed in her usual sparkle. Fans noticed she looked shaky, and two men helped her stay steady during the ribbon-cutting.
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Reported by ashnagaur on Reality Tea.
