Funeral home shares touching Dolly Parton obituary as family gathers at burial site

| Senior TV Reporter Published August 29, 2026 3:11pm Updated August 29, 2026 3:11pm The funeral home where Dolly Parton will be buried has shared an online obituary (Picture: Getty) A Nashville funeral home has paid tribute to Dolly Parton’s ‘rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see’. The late country music legend died aged 80 after a ‘brief battle’ with cancer, with celebrities, politicians and influential figures from across the globe honouring her mammoth legacy. On Friday, close family was seen arriving at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville, where her late husband Carl Dean has already been laid to rest when he died aged 82 in March 2025. She is set to be buried by his side. The husband-and-wife were together for 59 years after meeting outside a laundrette on the very same day she had moved to Tennessee to pursue her singing career. They kept their home life to themselves, with Dean only making a few public appearances over the years. As for Parton, the funeral home shared a sweet message on their site, remembering her life, echoing the initial statement released by the Jolene singer’s representatives. The 9 to 5 singer will be buried by her husband in Nashville (Picture: Arroyo/AFF-USA/Shutterstock) Her family was gathered at the memorial site on Friday (Picture: Arroyo/AFF-USA/Shutterstock) Hailing her as a ‘global icon and humanitarian’, the obituary continued: ‘Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family.’ Calling her legacy ‘one of love, kindness, and resilience’, they noted that her seven-decade career has inspired ‘multiple generations’. ‘Her songs will continue to resonate with people of all ages, and her philanthropic work will have a lasting impact,’ the familiar statement concluded. One of the tombstones dedicated to the couple shows their names engraved on top of a scene of the rolling countryside Parton loved so much. Her in-laws are also buried in the same location. The music legend died aged 80 after a ‘brief battle’ with cancer (Picture: Getty) As of right now, Parton’s family has confirmed there are currently only plans for a small, private funeral with no intention of a public memorial. They have also asked fans to donate to her Imagination Library in lieu of flowers. Although further details of what the intimate service will look like have not been revealed, the 9 to 5 musician herself has previously spoken about her plans. In a 2014 interview, she revealed her funeral song choice would be the old country-gospel song titled If We Never Meet Again. The beloved philanthropist has shared what song she would like sung at her funeral (Picture: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) ‘That was my daddy’s favourite. We did sing it at his funeral, and I would like it to be sung at mine,’ she said. As the world processes the loss of this trailblazing talent, more and more celebrities are speaking out about her impact, even from unexpected places. Fast and Furious actor Vin Diesel stunned fans with his vulnerable tribute to the legend. He shared a black-and-white photo of Parton with a prayer emoji, with his own cover of her well-known song I Will Always Love You in the background. Deals of the Day The viral LED face mask with over 350 lights that's currently discounted by £100 A friend said I looked 'snatched' – I credit this new Charlotte Tilbury powder Shop MySweetSmile's biggest Bank Holiday offers before they end Back-to-school shopping just got a lot cheaper thanks to Primark The back-to-school essential parents forget every year – and it could cost them His voice was clearly filled with emotion as he shared his rendition. Arrow MORE: Dolly Parton revealed name she and husband Carl Dean had picked out for a baby girl Arrow MORE: Dolly Parton was ready to try ‘experimental drugs’ in final days for medical research Arrow MORE: CNN apologises to Dolly Parton’s family after using photo of impersonator in death report