NASHVILLE — Country music icon Dolly Parton is mourning the loss of her older brother, Coy “Denver” Parton, who passed away on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at the age of 82. According to an official obituary released by Atchley Funeral Home in Sevierville, Tennessee, Denver spent the vast majority of his life in his native East Tennessee, where he built a long career as a dedicated crane operator helping construct vital bridges. Outside of his professional life, he was remembered by family as a private, hardworking man who deeply enjoyed hunting and running his homestead farm. The family announced that his memorial services will remain strictly private, and no specific cause of death has been publicly disclosed.
Following the announcement, Denver’s sister, Stella Parton, released a brief statement to the media, expressing gratitude for the community’s overwhelming support while requesting privacy for his daughters, Chris and Jennifer, and the extended family. The heartbreaking loss marks yet another difficult emotional chapter for the iconic Parton family. Denver’s passing comes just months after the death of Dolly Parton’s husband, Carl Dean—who passed away earlier in 2026 after nearly six decades of marriage to the global superstar—leaving the close-knit family to navigate a profoundly challenging season of grief.
