Dolly Parton was prepared to turn her final health battle into one last act of generosity.
The country music legend’s younger sister, Stella Parton, revealed that Dolly was willing to undergo experimental treatments if doctors believed the results could someday help other patients.
“My sister was one of the most generous, thoughtful and kind people I’ve ever known,” Stella wrote in a lengthy Facebook tribute Thursday. “What the world saw is exactly who she was, so much so, she told me recently that if there was no hope for her, she would still allow her medical team to try experimental drugs in the hope of helping others in the future.”
Dolly died Tuesday at 80 following a “brief battle with cancer,” her representatives previously told PEOPLE. Her specific form of cancer has not been disclosed.
Stella, 77, marked her older sister’s passing with a simple message: “Dolly got her wings this past Tuesday.”
The fellow country singer-songwriter said Dolly remained focused on giving back until the end and urged fans to carry that spirit forward.
“My sister was always thinking of others and if you want to honor her legacy, show more kindness, lift others up and give more of your time and resources, as she continued to do to the very end,” Stella continued.
The loss also brought an end to a cherished routine the sisters had maintained for years.
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Every Tuesday morning, long before sunrise, Dolly and Stella would speak by phone over coffee. Stella previously told PEOPLE they called the weekly ritual their “kaffeklatsch,” a German term for a casual coffee gathering.
“Every Tuesday about this time before the sun came up and the world was still asleep, she and I for many years had our coffee together over the phone,” Stella recalled.
The sisters were accustomed to early mornings after growing up on a farm in Tennessee.
“As she liked to say: ‘shoot Tedda we get more work done before the sun comes up than most folks do all day long!’”
During the calls, the sisters traded gossip, drank their coffee and made plans together.
“My Tuesday morning coffee time will never be the same but her love, respect and goodness will remain,” Stella added.
She said Dolly would be “showing out big time in all her sparkles and shine” in heaven.
The avalanche of tributes from fans and fellow stars has offered comfort to the grieving Parton family, Stella said, pointing to the “outpouring of love and respect” that followed her sister’s death.
“Dolly loved the world and everyone in it,” Stella wrote. “I would criticize and complain about it and she would laugh and say; ‘shoot Tedda, we’ve got more important things to do than worry about their silly asses.’ She was right and she proved it everyday.”
Stella closed her tribute with a challenge to those mourning the beloved “Jolene” singer.
“She left the world a better place by being in it so let’s follow her example.”
Dolly was the fourth of 12 children born to Robert Lee and Avie Lee Parton.
Her siblings included Willadeene, 86; David, who died in 2024 at 82; Coy, who died July 23 at 82; Bobby, 78; Stella, 77; Cassie, 75; Randy, who died in 2021 at 67; Larry, who died as an infant in 1955; twins Freida, 69, and Floyd, who died in 2018 at 61; and Rachel, 66.
