Dolly Parton ‘at peace’ with husband Carl Dean’s death: ‘Doing better than I thought I would’

nypost.com:

her husband’s recent passing and gave her fans an update on how she’s coping after losing him.Parton, who was with Dean for nearly 60 years, sat down with Knox News for an interview after she surprised fans at Dollywood’s Celebrity Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., on March 14 to celebrate the resort’s 40th operating season.

The event marked her first appearance since his death.“I’m doing better than I thought I would,” Parton shared about life after Dean.“I’ve been with him 60 years.

So, I’m going to have to relearn some of the things that we’ve done. But I’ll keep him always close,” she added.While the “9 to 5” singer said she’s “at peace that he’s at peace,” Parton explained she’s still “missing” and “loving him.”“[Dean] suffered a great deal,” she acknowledged, adding that 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.”Elsewhere in the interview, the country music icon revealed that her late husband would visit Dollywood often – despite his desire to keep a low profile.“He used to come to the park; he bought his own ticket – stood in line and got his ticket,” Parton recalled. “He didn’t want somebody giving him a ticket ‘cause he was Dolly’s husband.

Everybody thinks that’s the funniest thing.”She shared that Dean would also return home from his Dollywood visits and offer his famous wife some constructive feedback.“He would say, ‘You need more bathrooms,’” Parton laughed while imitating Dean’s voice. “Or he would say, ‘You need to tell them this or that.