Dolly Parton is mourning the loss of a family member this weekend after her brother, David Wilburn Parton, has passed away. According to TMZ, Stella Parton confirmed the sad news on social media, saying her brother was at peace.
“My brother David passed away peacefully this morning. It’s never easy to say goodbye to a loved one but he got his angel wings and is now at peace,” she wrote. The 82-year-old passed at his home in White Pine, Tenn., with no cause of death listed.
Parton was preceded in death by his infant son, Donnie, his father and mother, Robert Lee and Avid Lee Owens Parton, and three brothers, Larry, Floyd and Randy Parton. The Parton family had a whopping 12 siblings, with six boys and six girls.
According to Fox News, at the time of his death, David Parton stayed out of the public eye and was a retired bridge builder superintendent for Simpson Construction.
Dolly Parton has been preparing for the inevitable finally reaching her family once again. Reports in past year have indicated she’s debating a pause on her career to care for her ailing husband, Carl Dean, after his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s Disease. She hasn’t slowed down just yet, so things must still be manageable.
Parton lost her brother Randy to cancer at age 67 in 2021, preceded by brother Floyd in Dec. 2018 at 61. The country music legend held close to her faith when discussing their passing at the time.
“The family and I are grieving his loss but we know he is in a better place than we are at this time,” Parton wrote. “We are a family of faith and we believe that he is safe with God and that he is joined by members of the family that have gone on before and have welcomed him with joy and open arms.”