Dolly Parton’s Family Reveals Her Unexpected Funeral Plans

Dolly Parton spent decades dazzling the world. However, when it comes to her final farewell, the country music legend wanted something far removed from the spectacle.

Parton’s funeral will be small, private and reserved for immediate family, according to Taste of Country. Her representative said the intimate service was Parton’s own request and will celebrate the remarkable life and legacy she leaves behind.

And instead of filling a sanctuary with flowers, Parton had another idea.

Her family is asking those wishing to honor her memory to donate to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the literacy program she founded in 1995 that has placed millions of books into the hands of children.

The funeral plans follow Parton’s death on Tuesday at 80 after what her publicity team described as a “brief battle with cancer.” She died at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville surrounded by loved ones.

Her team has not disclosed the specific type of cancer.

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But another detail about Parton’s final wishes reveals just how ready she was to trade the rhinestones for rest.

As Charisma previously reported, Parton told her nephew, Bryan Seaver, that after a lifetime of wearing heavy, sparkling costumes, she wanted to be laid to rest in “a beautiful bed of plush cotton.”

And beneath all the music, fame and unmistakable Dolly flair was the faith her family says carried her home.

“Sadness lies with us, not with Dolly,” Seaver said while announcing her death, declaring that his aunt had “lived in the light” and is now “in the arms of Jesus.”

For one of entertainment’s biggest personalities, Parton’s final wishes are simple: no grand spectacle, no extravagant farewell—just family, faith, generosity and rest.

Prepared by Charisma Media Staff.