Dolly Parton Shares Heartfelt Health Update with Sister Stella

Stella Parton has opened up about her sister Dolly Parton’s passing in a heartfelt Facebook post, celebrating her memory just two days after her death was announced. The legendary country music icon, Dolly, passed away at 80 following a battle with cancer. “My big sister Dolly got her wings this past Tuesday. If anyone gets to heaven I’m sure she made it right on time,” wrote Stella, underscoring the bond they shared. She fondly recounted their cherished weekly tradition of catching up on life over the phone with coffee in hand. “Every Tuesday about this time, before the sun came up and the world was still asleep, she and I for many years had our coffee together over the phone,” Stella reminisced. “We would catch up on gossip, as sisters do, and drink coffee and make plans as it has always been our way.”

Stella painted a picture of Dolly as an altruistic and warm-hearted individual whose concern for others remained even through her final days. Despite her own health struggles, the “9 to 5” singer was exploring experimental treatments, hoping they might aid others in the future. Dolly spent her concluding days at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, passing peacefully on August 25, surrounded by her loved ones, according to her representatives (via Today). “What the world saw is exactly who she was,” emphasized Stella in her tribute. “[And] if you want to honor her legacy, show more kindness, lift others up and give more of your time and resources as she continued to do to the very end.”

Stella expressed gratitude to everyone who has extended condolences and love for her sister, concluding with a heartfelt note, “My Tuesday morning coffee time will never be the same but her love, respect and goodness will remain.”

Humor was a shared trait between Dolly Parton and her sister Stella, alongside their love of coffee and conversation. Despite her sister’s declining health earlier this year, Stella updated fans in June with positivity, as concerns over Dolly’s canceled appearances grew. She assured everyone that Dolly was “doing great” (via People). Stella described Dolly as being philosophical, adding humor was their coping mechanism. “We just have to laugh and laugh at ourselves as much as we laugh at everybody else, because if you take it too serious, you can’t carry the load,” Stella noted, highlighting it as a “family rule.”

Stella looked up to Dolly too. “[Growing up,] I was kind of a pain in the b*** to her, because I was so close in age to her,” she admitted in an archival interview on “Vicki!” (via YouTube). The Parton sisters were separated by just three years, with Dolly the fourth and Stella the sixth of 12 siblings. Like Dolly, Stella is also gifted in music and has been performing since she was a child. She made waves in the ’70s with her hit song “I Want To Hold You in My Dreams Tonight” and continues to release music. “I always wanted to do everything that she was doing, and I was just young enough for her to think that she would know more than me,” Stella acknowledged. “So, I always made sure that she lived hard for that. […] But I love her a lot, and she loves me a lot.”