Watch: Dolly Parton’s Brother, Coy “Denver” Parton, Dead at 82
The Parton family is in mourning.
Coy “Denver” Parton, 82, brother of Dolly Parton, 80, has died on July 23, according to his obituary shared by Atchley Funeral Home in Sevierville, Tenn., where the crane operator was based. The cause of death has not been shared.
Denver’s trade in construction—following in the footsteps of his late older brother David Parton—led him to build bridges throughout his career, the obituary noted. In addition, Denver, one of Lee Parton and Avie Lee Owens Parton‘s 12 children, was a dedicated hunter and homestead farmer.
Denver is survived by his older sister, Willadeene Parton, 86, and younger siblings Bobby Lee Parton, 78, Stella Parton, 77, Cassie Griffith, 75, Freida Parton, 69, Rachel George, 66 and Laura Price, as well as the “Jolene” singer. The Tennessee native also leaves behind daughters Chris Parton and Jennifer Parton, as well as his grandson, Ian Parton.
Denver’s passing follows that of Dolly’s husband Carl Dean, 82, who died March 2025 in Nashville.
“I’m doing better than I thought I would,” Dolly told Knox News in an interview at Dollywood, just weeks after announcing the heartbreaking news. “I’ve been with him 60 years. So, I’m going to have to relearn some of the things that we’ve done. But I’ll keep him always close.”
“It’s a hole in my heart,” she continued, “but we’ll fill that up with good stuff and he’ll still always be with me.”
The “I Will Always Love You Singer” has also mourned younger brothers Randel Huston “Randy” Parton, who passed in 2021, and Estel “Floyd” Parton, who passed in 2018 as well as older brother David, who died in 2024.
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Dolly previously opened up about her family’s humble beginnings during her childhood, sharing a one-room cabin with no running water.
“I grew up in a very poor family with no material things,” the Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business author told People in 2018. “I had to claw and scratch my way through everything.”
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