Coy "Denver" Parton, the older brother of Dolly Parton and the third of the twelve children born to Robert Lee and Avie Lee Owens Parton in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, died Thursday July 23 in Sevierville at the age of 82. Atchley Funeral Home confirmed the death.
No cause has been disclosed. Funeral services will be private. The family has asked that donations in his memory be made to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library rather than flowers.
Denver lived his life out of the spotlight, working for years as a crane operator who built bridges across the region and also as a homestead farmer and avid hunter.
While his sister Dolly became one of the most celebrated entertainers in the history of American music, Denver stayed in Sevierville and built a quiet life of his own.
His death comes during a difficult stretch for the Parton family. Dolly's husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, died in March 2025 at age 82. In November 2024, her brother David Parton died at the same age. Now Denver, also 82.
He is survived by his daughters Chris and Jennifer, his grandson Ian, his siblings Bobby, Dolly, Stella, Willadeene and several others. Dolly Parton has not yet commented publicly.