Matsoukas Family Honors Dolly Parton With Skeletons

The Matsoukas family at 5338 N. Washington Blvd. is installing a Halloween display dedicated to the memory of Dolly Parton. The north-side home in the Meridian-Kessler neighborhood will feature a collection of skeletons on the front lawn. Each figure represents a specific period in the country music star’s decadeslong career.

Parton died on Aug. 25 at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee. She was 80 years old. The cause of death followed a brief battle with cancer.

Katie Matsoukas, who described herself as a Parton aficionado, said the family has paid tribute to musicians on their lawn in previous years. She stated that Parton felt like a natural choice for this year’s decoration.

Matsoukas said she admires the late singer’s character. “I just, I really, I think she’s a great person to kind of aspire to be like,” Matsoukas said. She recalled a social media post that noted how people remember the deceased for their character rather than just their accolades. “When she passed away, I saw somebody wrote something on social media to the effect of, imagine living this life where you have all these accolades, this amazing career in music, and when you pass away, all anybody wants to talk about is how good of a person you were,” Matsoukas said. She added that this sentiment captures how she and many others feel about Parton.

The house is located southeast of the intersection of North Pennsylvania and East 54th streets. Residents and visitors can view the display on Saturday, the day before Halloween. The installation serves as a tribute to the singer who died in August.

The family hopes the display honors Parton’s legacy. The skeletons are arranged to reflect the different stages of her professional life.