@mistithorpe: 💔 REST IN PEACE, DOLLY PARTON — 1946–2026 This one feels like losing a piece of America. Country music legend, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur and humanitarian Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80. And while the world will remember the rhinestones, the big blonde hair, Jolene, 9 to 5, Coat of Many Colors and I Will Always Love You… I hope we remember something else just as much: Dolly Parton spent an extraordinary amount of her life giving back. 📚 She gave millions of children books. Dolly created the Imagination Library in 1995 in honor of her father, who could not read or write. What began in her Tennessee hometown grew into an international program mailing free books every month to children from birth to age 5 — at absolutely no cost to their families. ❤️ She took care of her neighbors when disaster struck. After devastating wildfires hit Sevier County in 2016, Dolly created the My People Fund, which ultimately distributed more than $12 million to families who lost their homes. 🌧️ When Hurricane Helene devastated communities in Tennessee and North Carolina in 2024, Dolly and her businesses/Foundation contributed more than $2 million toward relief and recovery efforts. 🧪 She donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for COVID-19 research in 2020, funding that helped support research connected to the Moderna vaccine. 🎓 Her Dollywood Foundation has funded scholarships and educational programs in her home community for decades. And then, of course, there is Dollywood. What began as her investment in a Tennessee theme park became one of the country’s best-known family destinations and helped bring jobs, tourism and economic opportunity back to the region where Dolly grew up with very little. She never seemed to forget where she came from. And the timing of today’s news makes it even more heartbreaking. Just days ago, Dolly had publicly discussed some recent health struggles. She had experienced dizziness and dehydration, missed a Dollywood appearance on medical advice and had been dealing with other health issues. Dolly also revealed that she had neglected some of her own health while caring for her beloved husband, Carl Dean, before his death in March 2025 after nearly 60 years of marriage. But even then, Dolly was talking about the future. She said she was responding to treatment and continuing to work. She was discussing new projects, including her museum, hotel and Broadway musical. At this time, I have not seen a confirmed cause of death released, and I don’t want to speculate beyond what her family and representatives have confirmed. Dolly once said: “My dream was to make as many people happy as I could in this life.” I think it’s safe to say she accomplished that dream. She entertained generations. She made people laugh. She wrote songs that became the soundtrack to people’s lives. She helped families rebuild homes. She helped children learn to read. And somehow, despite becoming one of the most recognizable women on the planet, she never stopped talking about those Tennessee mountains she came from. What a life. What a legacy. 💔 Rest peacefully, Dolly Parton. January 19, 1946 — August 25, 2026 🕊️ What is the first Dolly Parton song, movie or memory that comes to your mind when you think of her? #DollyParton #RestInPeaceDolly #CountryMusic #DollyPartonLegacy #Dollywood

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