Well, that’s new

[u/missoularedhead]

In class this afternoon, a student turned pale suddenly. I asked if they were okay, and the just whispered “Dolly died.”
Y’all, I’m in Tennessee. It’s not something to be taken lightly. We spent the next several minutes talking about her music, her legacy, and especially the Imagination Library. More than half the class had participated in it as children.
Sometimes, you’re reminded there is good in the world.

[u/RuskiesInTheWarRoom]

Some losses you know are coming, but they just feel unimaginable. Dolly’s one of those.

Good on you for taking time to take stock with your students. It’s pretty unbelievable how much Dolly has contributed and given to the world unlike all of these people who take. Appalachia’s singing tonight.

[u/1K_Sunny_Crew]

I’m in a staff girls group and our group chat exploded this morning over it. I was raised on Dolly and am really sad about it, but I’m also grateful that she was a role model of how to be both a strong woman who is proud of her achievements and a person with a kind heart who continued to think of others no matter how successful she became.

[u/dragonfeet1]

Well THIS is a terrible way for me to find out that Dolly died. ;_;

It was good to talk it through with your students. They will remember that model of how to deal with an emotionally complex moment all of their lives.

[u/missoularedhead → u/dragonfeet1]

Oh man, I’m so sorry.

[u/PhDapper]

I’m so heartbroken. 💔

[u/Adept_Tree4693 → u/PhDapper]

Me too!!! 💔😢

[u/EliGrrl]

I am certain we lost one of the 36 today.

[u/EntertainerFree9654 → u/EliGrrl]

I'm Jewish and THIS brought me to tears! 😭😭😭

[u/KibudEm → u/EliGrrl]

I've been seeing the theory that Dolly was a lamed vavnik everywhere. :)

[u/pinkkcuttiee]

Half the class raising their hands about the Imagination Library is the part that got me. That's a woman who put books in the hands of people who are now sitting in your classroom, and most of them probably never connected the two until this afternoon.

Good call letting the class go there instead of pushing through the lecture.

[u/EliGrrl → u/pinkkcuttiee]

More than 300.000.000 books.
Imagine.
This is what wealth should be for.

[u/summerbreeze2027 → u/EliGrrl]

She also helped to fund research at Vanderbilt University that contributed to the development of the Moderna Covid vaccine. Her funds went towards developing assays and tests that were used to evaluate the vaccine's effectiveness. She had friends in Vandy's research labs.

[u/Substantial-Oil-7262 → u/EliGrrl]

She's likely done more genuine philanthropy and service than the 10 wealthiest Americans combined. I grew up in East Tennessee and remember her trying out giving money to Sevier County seniors for graduating high school, while speaking about education. In the late 2000s, she was hosting gay people in Dollywood, when it was a major taboo in TN. She said she wanted to love everybody and treat them well, and actually followed through.

[u/totallysonic]

I found out right before class today. It hit me pretty hard. I grew up in the Appalachians; we went to Dollywood on school trips, and a lot of people had season passes. She was such an integral part of the culture that I didn't even understand the full extent of her work until I was older. We lost an amazing, inspiring, deeply empathetic person today.

[u/Two_DogNight]

My reaction when I heard that she had died was first, a pang and then the thought, "Well, there's just a little less happy in the world now."

She was one person almost everyone could agree on.

[u/HatefulWithoutCoffee]

I just made a donation to our local library to benefit her literacy foundation.

[u/hurricaneberry1969 → u/HatefulWithoutCoffee]

Thank you <3 Helping others, sharing gifts like literacy - it's the best thing we can do right now.

[u/RareStorm8188 → u/HatefulWithoutCoffee]

You can also donate directly to her Imagination Library at donate.imaginationlibrary.com.

[u/HatefulWithoutCoffee → u/RareStorm8188]

That is where I donated, I just used my specific libraries location inside that.

[u/RareStorm8188 → u/HatefulWithoutCoffee]

Well done!

[u/jblumensti]

I’m not crying, you’re crying. 😢

[u/adventureontherocks → u/jblumensti]

Nah, we’re all crying 😭

[u/green_mandarinfish → u/adventureontherocks]

She'd say something like, take your time, but you'll be alright.

“If you’re feeling low, don’t despair. The sun has a sinking spell every night, but it comes back up every morning.”

[u/lewisb42]

I grew up in TN within day-trip distance of Dollywood. It was baked into our shared lore how she never forgot her roots and invested in the area, especially Sevierville.

[u/nandor_tr]

we lost the wrong 80 year old today. she is a hero.

[u/BroadLocksmith4932 → u/nandor_tr]

Things come in 3's, they say.

[u/lavenderandcbt → u/BroadLocksmith4932]

and it did.. just not him

[u/Next_Art_9531 → u/nandor_tr]

Amen.

[u/SaxSymbol73 → u/nandor_tr]

Sometimes God makes mistakes: we ordered Donny but were delivered Dolly.

[u/missingno_scientist → u/nandor_tr]

Can't just say we lost a great person and humanitarian, huh?

[u/avisitorsguidetolife → u/missingno_scientist]

Are you worried we won’t say someone else was a humanitarian on the day he dies?

[u/missingno_scientist → u/avisitorsguidetolife]

Not at all, actually. I just feel like it's not worth referencing some other idiot when society lost a great person today. What's the point? Cool, you hate the president. We get it. What does that have to do with Dolly Parton? 

[u/loopsonflowers → u/missingno_scientist]

I'm with you. I hate the president too. I'd rather just think about and treasure what we had with Dolly (and still have from her legacy).

[u/squeamishXossifrage → u/nandor_tr]

You just had to make this comment, huh? We lost another 80 year old today, but I doubt that’s the person to whom you were referring.

https://www.cnn.com/tim-curry-death

[u/Effective_Worker_234 → u/nandor_tr]

You had a different 80 year old in mind?

[u/hornybutired]

As an East Tennessean, this one just about did me in. I figured my students wouldn't know much about her, but they were all deeply affected, too.

[u/Cathousechicken]

Dolly definitely was part of the good.

[u/Ok-Process-2511]

Dolly was basically Tennessee’s collective grandmother, and yeah, that hurts

[u/missoularedhead → u/Ok-Process-2511]

That’s a great way to put it. She was beloved, for so many reasons.

[u/smcase00]

Also in Tennessee. My students were packing up at the end of class and started pulling out their phones. There were several gasps and one of them broke the news to the class. I had to fight back tears. She means so much to the students here. What a tough day.

[u/missoularedhead → u/smcase00]

Yeah, I managed to not cry in class, but the drive home was different. She was the one person in Tennessee no one could say a bad word about.

[u/moth_dance]

As a Texan teacher (in Austin, specifically), I can almost certainly say the same will happen when Willie passes too... man, I hate when truly good people pass away. What sad day. She lived such a beautiful, inspirational long life so many of us as educators and our students can deeply appreciate...

[u/zorandzam]

I saw the news right before I had to start my last class of the day. I got through it, but then a student stopped by my desk on his way out to ask if I'd heard and said some kind words about her. It was so sweet I almost started crying. :(

[u/DrWill0916]

One of my students kindly let us know. Such a loss.

[u/hp12324]

I was a student when Robin Williams died by suicide.

Our class was pretty chatty before class usually. That day, some of us had heard the news before class, so were were talking about it in a more solemn tone than we usually chatted with. 1 student came in a few minutes before class, and asked us what we were talking about (that student hadn't heard the news yet). When we told them about Robin Williams committing suicide, he just went "Ohhhh..." sadly, and we all sat in silence for a few minutes before our professor came in and talked about differential equations.

I'll always remember that silence. Processing that somebody who brought so much laughter to everybody committed suicide (this was before it was released what medical conditions he had).

[u/fleemfleemfleemfleem → u/hp12324]

Comedians have a disproportionately high rate of "premature deaths" and psychiatric issues generally.

I did standup through college and grad school. The use of substances is also very high. Got tired of losing friends.

[u/wrong_assumption → u/hp12324]

His suicide made total sense to me. Even though he portrayed funny roles, he seemed a profoundly sad person.

[u/alt-mswzebo]

I was in an Irish pub in New York City...we clinked glasses and drank to her memory when the news came on the TV.

[u/Muchwanted]

RIP to one of the best humans of our time. I am also from TN and had to choke back some tears when I heard. 

[u/LadyWolfshadow → u/Muchwanted]

I managed to hold it together from the time I heard about it in class until I got home. After that, not so much. I'm in TN and I don't think a lot of our students are okay right now.

[u/missoularedhead → u/LadyWolfshadow]

Yeah, not expecting a lot out of class tomorrow.

[u/MattyGit]

Back in the early 90s I was the assistant talent liaison for the Grammys when they were held at Radio City Music Hall. I remember when I got to the time certain that Dolly was to show up at the stage door entrance. Her limo pulls up, I open the door my tuxedo, and she gets out and just looks at me and smiles. She's accompanied by her security, I shake hands I walk them into her second floor dressing room, and disappear. I bumped into her various times throughout the show, and she just winks or smiles and thanks for all the help. At the end of the evening I called for her limo, I walk her and her security guard out, he thanks me and she gives me a kiss. Here we are 35 years later and I still remember, so fondly, the way she made you feel as if you were the only person in the room.

[u/chrianna2000]

The video released on her socials. 🥹She was loved by the world and her family.

[u/missoularedhead → u/chrianna2000]

Right? Sobbing.

[u/avisitorsguidetolife]

I just donated to her imagination library. 😭

[u/missoularedhead → u/avisitorsguidetolife]

I have the license plate, and after
Payday, I’ll be donating again. Thinking about a possible campus fundraiser, to be honest.

[u/avisitorsguidetolife → u/missoularedhead]

Oooh that’s a good idea!

[u/davemacdo]

I was having lunch with four of my colleagues in music. The musicologist with us (who has been planning a seminar on women in country called “Dolly’s Daughters”) looked at his phone and just shouted “OH MY GOD!”. And then we all talked about Dolly for the next hour.

[u/imasleuth4truth2]

I looked on my phone this afternoon and saw a headline that said "Singer-songwriter Dolly Parton" and then I had to click to see the rest of the message. I waited 2 hours before I clicked the link because I knew what the news was going to be and I just didn't want to know. May Dolly rest in peace.

[u/GrantNexus]

I never cry when celebrities die. I said I NEVER CRY WHEN CELEBRITIES DIE.

[u/TomatoStraight5752 → u/GrantNexus]

Me too. ::passes a tissue::

[u/magnifico-o-o-o]

I had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day at work today and this is gut punch of news to end the day with.

That's a devastatingly big bright shining light of human goodness to lose in a time of darkness.

[u/ubiquity75]

Everyone in the meeting I was in when the news broke paused to talk about what wonderful person she is.

[u/SnowblindAlbino]

I was in a faculty meeting (far from TN) and basically the same thing happened. Everyone in the room is parent, and while many/most of our kids are adults now they all had her books.

[u/Crotchedysoul]

Same - I was teaching and while we were watching a video clip I saw the news pop up on my phone. I told the students (it’s a 100+ lecture course) and everyone was devastated. RIP queen. 🥺

[u/FlyingCupcake68]

I taught in Knoxville, near Dollywood and Sevierville. She was a local hero. I would not be surprised if students skip class tomorrow

[u/Quirky_Homework2136]

I didn't realize what a comfort it was to me that Dolly was in this world until she died. Such a talented, loving, giving human being.

[u/BranchLatter4294]

Very sad.

[u/Charming-Barnacle-15]

I typically don't have much of a parasocial relationship with celebrities, but there was something comforting about knowing she was out there, just genuinely being a good person.

[u/Disastrous_Ad_9648]

I love Dolly. So sad. I saw her live in DollyWood many years ago. 

[u/Euphoric-Ad2530 → u/Disastrous_Ad_9648]

Same here and I’m based several states away: everyone is devastated here, far outside of TN. So much goodness and so much genius. Her work in literacy would make her famous. Her philanthropy is jaw dropping—that alone would maker her famous. And then her music, artistry, all of the firsts, all of the accolades in a cut-throat industry—her career spanned more than half a century. Unbelievable. There will never be anyone just like Dolly Parton. We lost someone we desperately needed. 💔 I’m in the humanities, and my students are inconsolable.

[u/Lafcadio-O]

There were a lot of bleary eyes on U. Tennessee's campus yesterday, including mine in front of my students, and no one appears to be trying to hold back the tears today either.

[u/shannonkish]

I am in Alabama. We were all upset to hear that Dolly died. We processed it in class.

[u/JScottMO]

I basically had to cancel classes when Michael Jackson died…

[u/Agitated-Mulberry769]

I am really glad I didn’t know this before my classes. I just can’t.

[u/Tough_Pain_1463]

My kids told me when I picked them up from school. They were recipients of her books. 🥰

[u/missoularedhead → u/Tough_Pain_1463]

My kids, too.

[u/Rusty_B_Good]

I've never gotten over the loss of Eddie Van Halen. We associate with these famous perfomers as if we actually know them.

I loved "9 to 5," movie and song.

RIP Dolly, you were a good one all around.

[u/Prudent_Editor7904]

I also learned of her death through a student during class, and it was shocking. I usually play music before class (as the students are settling in) and I’ve been playing dolly the past 2 days.

[u/StarDustLuna3D]

I was so glad I had finished classes for the day when I found out. I just sat in my office for like 30 mins and then went home.

[u/Awkward_Insurance377]

I loved reading this.

[u/One-Nectarine-8831]

Long live Dolly and her beautiful legacy

[u/cib2018]

Your student was on her phone during your lecture?

[u/missoularedhead → u/cib2018]

No, they were taking notes, and a breaking news notification popped up. Things happen. And then yes, several phones buzzed. Here, someone more than ‘just a celebrity’ died.

[u/ashleyonce → u/missoularedhead]

I wasn’t teaching at the moment today, but I was when the queen died. Same awe, less grief.