Dolly Parton is leaning on her faith as she continues to mourn the death of her husband of 58 years, Carl Dean.

In a new interview with The Independent, she says she’s certain that they’ll be reunited in Heaven one day, and it’s a thought that brings her comfort.

“I’m a person of faith, and I truly believe that I’m going to see him again someday,” Parton explains.

He’s also still a big part of her day-to-day life here on Earth.

“I see him every day in my memories and in my heart, and in all the things that we used to do and all the things that we’ve built together,” the singer goes on to say, adding, “I really feel his presence.”

• Dean died on March 3, 2025 at the age of 82.
• He and Parton wed on May 30, 1966. They were just a few months shy of their 59th wedding anniversary at the time of his death.
• Parton said in 2022 that she would probably never tour again, saying she needed to stay close to home because “something could happen.”

Dean’s cause of death has not been disclosed to the public, though Parton has said that he had been battling an illness for a while by the time he died.

“I just try to go on, because I know I have to,” Parton says in her interview with The Independent. “And he was ill for quite a while, and part of me was at peace knowing that he was at peace and not suffering anymore. But that still doesn’t make up for the loss and the loneliness of it.”

Read More: Dolly Parton Made Her Late Husband a Solemn Promise

Parton has spoken about Dean to fans frequently since his death, and she shared a message thanking them for their support and sympathy.

“I can’t reach out personally to each of you but just know that it has meant the world to me,” she wrote in an emotional social media post. “He is in God’s arms now and I am okay with that.”

Parton also released a song called “If You Hadn’t Been There,” which acknowledges the quietly consistent support and love that Dean showed her throughout their years together.