Dolly Parton Reveals That Her Husband Was Suffering During His Last Days

Dealing with the grief of someone you love dying truly ravages a person. On one hand, you could never want them to go. All the memories flood to your brain and every good moment becomes something you wish to cherish while they’re still there.

However, on the other hand, you definitely don’t want them to suffer either. You just want them to feel peace instead of transitioning into someone you don’t recognize anymore. These are the heavy things that Dolly Parton had to grapple with in the last days with her husband Carl Dean. Now, she’s opening up about what those moments were like towards the end.

Recently, Parton spoke at the season opening for her theme park Dollywood. This marks the first time she addressed the public since Carl Dean’s death. Afterwards, she sits down with Knox News to talk about her mindset in the midst of all the grief. Dolly says that she’s “doing better than I thought I would.”

“I’ve been with him 60 years,” she explains. “So, I’m going to have to relearn some of the things that we’ve done. But I’ll keep him always close.”

Dolly Parton Details Some of Carl Dean’s Last Days

Ultimately, Parton comes to accept that his mind, body, and spirit are finally at peace. There’s no need for him to fight anymore and there’s a sense of acceptance that comes with that thought. “I’m at peace that he’s at peace, but that don’t keep me from missing him and loving him,” Dolly says, revealing that Dean had been suffering towards the end. “It’s a hole in my heart, you know, but we’ll fill that up with good stuff and he’ll still always be with me.”

In the spirit of staying positive and trying to emphasize Dollywood, Parton talks about how he’d buy his own ticket. Obviously, Dean detested being in the spotlight and would actively stay private as a result. However, ever the supportive husband, Dolly recalls when Carl would wait in line for a ticket like everyone else. “He didn’t want somebody giving him a ticket ’cause he was Dolly’s husband,” she says.