Dolly Parton Mourns the Loss of Brother David Parton: “He Got His Angel Wings”

In a deeply emotional moment for one of America’s most beloved families, country music icon Dolly Parton is facing the sorrowful passing of another sibling — her older brother, David Wilburn Parton, who died peacefully at the age of 82. The news was shared by Dolly’s sister, singer Stella Parton, through heartfelt social media posts on November 15, marking yet another chapter of grief in the Parton family’s remarkable journey through life, loss, and love.

“It’s never easy to say goodbye to a loved one,” Stella wrote, announcing David’s passing in the early hours of the morning. “But he got his angel wings and is now at peace.” Her words were soft but full of the kind of aching finality that only a sister could understand. It was a simple, loving tribute to a brother who had chosen a life away from the spotlight but who remained deeply cherished by his family.

Though Dolly Parton has not yet spoken publicly about her brother’s death, the silence says enough. In recent years, the singer has watched as the circle of her once-bustling family has grown smaller. David, the second eldest of twelve children, is the latest of Dolly’s brothers to pass, following Randy in 2021 and Floyd in 2018. Each loss, while unique, carries the same weight of a shared childhood slipping further into memory.

David Parton was not a singer or songwriter like his famous sister, but he built his life with steady hands and quiet strength. A retired bridge-building superintendent with Simpson Construction, he worked across East Tennessee, helping shape the very roads and landscapes that framed their childhood. According to his obituary, David was remembered not only for his hard work but for his role as a devoted husband to his wife of 45 years, Kay Parton, and as a loving father and grandfather.

Still, within the Parton family, fame has never been the measure of value. They have long been a people bound by faith, loyalty, and deep roots in Sevier County, Tennessee. And David’s life, though lived far from the bright lights of the Opry stage, was no less significant than any chart-topping hit. “He finally got his angel wings,” Stella wrote. It’s a phrase that feels both personal and universal — an image of peace for a man who lived quietly, faithfully, and fully.

The funeral is scheduled for Tuesday, November 19, at Leadvale Baptist Church in White Pine, Tennessee. Family, friends, and neighbors are expected to gather not just to mourn David, but to celebrate a life lived with integrity. As with every loss in the Parton family, this goodbye is private, grounded, and real — the kind that echoes through memories of mountain songs, shared meals, and the unbreakable bond of kinship.

For Dolly, whose heart has always been open in her music but closely guarded in grief, this moment is another quiet sorrow added to a long and tender story. She has spoken before about how faith sustains her during moments like these. When her brother Randy died, she wrote, “We are a family of faith… we believe he is safe with God and joined by members of the family that have gone on before.” That same belief likely comforts her now, even as another sibling’s voice falls silent.

In a world that often sees celebrities as untouchable, Dolly Parton reminds us again and again: she is a daughter, a sister, a human being shaped by love and loss just like the rest of us. And as she mourns David — not with fanfare, but with grace — her fans are reminded of the enduring power of family, and the strength it takes to carry on when a piece of your past is gone.

When Dolly sings again, she’ll carry this sorrow with her — not as a burden, but as part of the soul that has always made her music feel like home.