David Wilburn Parton, Dolly Parton’s brother, passed away. He was eighty-two.
On Friday, November 15, Stella Parton, the singer’s sister, posted on X (previously Twitter) to announce their brother’s passing.
“My brother David passed away peacefully this morning,” the 75-year-old wrote. “It’s never easy to say goodbye to a loved one but he got his angel wings and is now at peace.”
Stella wrote in a separate post on Facebook, “It’s never easy to lose a loved one,” adding that her brother died “in the early hours of the morning.” On Threads, she wrote, “My brother David left us this morning. He finally got his angel wings. RIP dear soul. Love you forever.”
David, identified as David W. Parton, “passed away at his home” on Friday, November 15 in White Pine, Tennessee, according to an online obituary published on the same day. There was no indication of the cause of death.
Dolly, 78, has not yet made any public remarks regarding her brother’s passing.
People have contacted Stella and Dolly’s representatives for additional comments.
David was a former superintendent of bridge construction with Simpson Construction at the time of his passing. According to the obituary, he had worked in Knoxville, Johnson City, and Kingsport, among other places in Tennessee.
“The family would like to extend special thanks to Dr. David McNabney, Smoky Mountain Home Health & Hospice, his Cornerstone caregiver, Aubrie Smith & caregiver, Robin Schmidt,” it read.
David was the second oldest of the 11 Parton siblings, who also included the already-deceased Randy, Larry, and Floyd, as well as Willadeene, 84, Coy, 81, Dolly, Robert Jr., 76, Stella, Cassie, 73, Freida, 67, and Rachel, 65.
In contrast to his well-known sisters, David avoided the limelight during his lifetime.
In addition to his siblings, he leaves behind his wife of 45 years, Kay Parton, two daughters, Donna and Dena, Lucas, who the obituary describes as a “nephew/son,” as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Family and friends are invited to the funeral, which will take place at Leadvale Baptist Church in White Pine on Tuesday, November 19.
David passed away six years after his brother Floyd, who passed away in December 2018 at the age of 61, and almost four years after his brother Randy, who passed away from cancer in 2021 at the age of 67.
Dolly previously wrote in a statement on Facebook about Randy’s passing, “My brother Randy has lost his battle with cancer. The family and I are grieving his loss but we know he is in a better place than we are at this time.”
“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.”