Dolly Parton is mourning another family loss after her brother Coy “Denver” Parton died at 82.
The East Tennessee native, 80, lost Denver on Thursday, July 23, according to an obituary published by the family’s funeral home, and his sister Stella Parton, 77, later spoke out about the loss.
Denver, one of the singer’s brothers, spent much of his life in Sevierville working as a crane operator and homestead farmer.
“My brother Denver was a deeply private person,” Stella told People.
“I appreciate the kind messages and expressions of condolences on behalf of my nieces Chris and Jennifer, and the rest of my family.”
The obituary said Denver preferred a quiet life away from the spotlight, even as his younger sister became a global country star.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Lee and Avie Lee Parton, and brothers Larry, David, Randy and Floyd.
He is survived by daughters Chris and Jennifer, grandson Ian Parton, brother Bobby Parton and sisters Willadeene, Dolly, Stella, Cassie, Freida and Rachel.
A private service is planned, and no cause of death has been released.
The loss comes just over a year after Parton lost her husband, Carl Dean.
“Carl Dean, husband of Dolly Parton, passed away March 3rd in Nashville at the age of 82,” Parton’s statement said.
“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy,” she added.
In the viral moment, Parton later returned to Instagram with a message for fans after Dean’s death.
“This is a love note to family, friends, and fans,” she wrote.
“Thank you for all the messages, cards, and flowers that you’ve sent to pay your respects for the loss of my beloved husband Carl.”
“He is in God’s arms now and I am okay with that. I will always love you,” Parton wrote.
Parton also later said Dean had been sick for a while before he died.
“He was ill for quite a while,” she told The Independent.
She said she had tried to steady herself through it.
“And part of me was at peace that he was at peace and not suffering anymore,” Parton said.
Parton and Dean kept their marriage famously private over nearly six decades together.
They met in Nashville in 1964 and married two years later, and Dean mostly stayed out of the public eye while Parton built her career.
“Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years,” she wrote.
She now faces another family goodbye as the Partons’ long list of losses continues to grow.
The country star’s next scheduled appearance is in Nashville.