Gov. Abigail Spanberger has issued an order requesting all U.S. and state flags at government buildings across Virginia be flown at half-staff in honor or the late Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday at 80.
The beloved musician and actress died at a Nashville hospital after a short fight with cancer, her publicist said in a statement.
Parton rose from meager beginnings in the Tennessee mountains to become a country music icon whose career spanned six decades. She was known for her signature blonde wigs, sparkly, skin-tight costumes and high heels, but also for her philanthropy work.
Musically, she was known for a number of massive hits including “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You.”
Spanberger ordered that flags be lowered at 6 p.m. Tuesday night and remain at half-staff until sunset on Sept. 1.
“We honor Dolly Parton not only for her extraordinary contributions to music and culture, but also for her enduring commitment to children throughout the Commonwealth. Through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, she has helped foster a lifelong love of reading among our youngest Virginians. Her generosity has expanded opportunity for countless children and strengthened communities across the Commonwealth,” Spanberger said in the order.
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library provides free books to children up to five years old.
New Providence Presbyterian Church in Brownsburg sponsored a Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Rockbridge County in 2024. By 2025, the church has mailed more than 6,500 free books to children across the county.
To learn more or to register a child, visit the Imagination Library tab on the New Providence web site at newprovidencepresbyterianchurch. org or at ImaginationLibrary.com.
