Donna Lewis

At the age of 93, Donna Mae Doering Lewis passed away suddenly on July 22, 2026, at Benefis Hospital following a brief illness. She always said that aging wasn’t for the faint of heart, but she did so gracefully, with her trademark humor.

Donna was born to William and Mildred Doering on October 23, 1932, in Brainerd, Minnesota. She was later joined by siblings, Kay, Bob, and Janet.

During her childhood, Donna’s family moved frequently, relocating 12 times over 13 years due to William’s job transfers as a Montgomery Ward store manager. In those transitional times, Donna found stability in the local libraries, where she formed a lifelong love of books.

When Donna was 15, the family moved to Albion, Nebraska, where her father purchased a women’s clothing store that became “Doering’s Ready-to-Wear.” Donna worked weekends and summers steaming garments in the back room. There, she developed a career interest in women’s fashion.

Two weeks after Donna’s high school graduation from Albion High School in 1951, William died unexpectedly. By then, Doering’s had expanded to three Nebraska locations. Mildred sold two of them and moved the family to Scottsbluff to manage the remaining store with help from her sister, Ruth, making it possible for Donna to enter college in the fall.

Donna attended Nebraska Wesleyan University (NWU) in Lincoln to study fashion. There, she pledged Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. That fall, a sorority sister set Donna up on a dance date with Jack Lewis, a fraternity boy she knew. The dance went well, and they occasionally dated until Donna later stood him up on Valentine’s Day.

The summer before junior year, Jack was drafted into the U.S. Army and deployed to Germany. Donna, who was seeking a career in fashion merchandising, transferred to the University of Minnesota (UMN) where she could pursue retailing through a more prestigious business degree.

While there, she decided to write to Jack. Still upset about the Valentine’s Day debacle, Jack took his time replying, but when he finally did, they corresponded regularly. For all her life, Donna kept the horde of letters he wrote during that time.

After his military service ended, Jack returned to Lincoln to finish his undergraduate degree at NWU. By then, Donna was working at Schuster’s, a department store in Milwaukee, in the merchandise training program. They dated long-distance for two years and were married over spring break of Jack’s senior year, March 24, 1957, in Scottsbluff during a blizzard.

The couple made Lincoln their home while Jack attended law school at the University of Nebraska, and Donna worked as a women’s clothing buyer for Gold’s Department Store. She loved going to market to choose clothing lines and dressing the ladies of Lincoln in fine fashions.

Upon graduation from law school, Jack accepted a position at the law firm of Jardine, Stephenson, Blewett and Weaver, in Great Falls. In July of 1960, they moved to Montana when Donna was seven months pregnant with their first daughter, Lori, who was born in September. Daughter Janna arrived in August of 1965.

In Great Falls, Donna focused on her family and community volunteerism. As a lifelong advocate of the arts, she spent countless hours serving on various boards of directors, including the C.M. Russell Museum, Great Falls Parks and Recreation, the Library Foundation, and the Junior League. She was a founding member of Paris Gibson Square and served as president of both the Montana Association of Symphony Orchestras and the Great Falls Symphony. Donna was recently honored as a proud 60-year-old member of P.E.O. Chapter I.

An avid reader, Donna also enjoyed gourmet cooking, entertaining, antique club, book group, collecting art and antiques, and many other interests.

Donna and Jack passionately loved to travel and visited over 36 countries, but their favorite places to be were their home on the Missouri River and their log cabin at Lindbergh Lake in the Swan Valley.

Donna and Jack’s loving marriage lasted 63 years until Jack’s death in 2020. Following his death, Donna moved to The Iris Senior Living, where she relished gathering with old and new friends. For her 90th birthday in 2022, Lori and Janna took their mom to Nebraska for a memorable trip visiting special places she hadn’t seen in many years. She also connected with all three of her beloved siblings, which was timely and treasured.

Donna is survived by daughters, Lori (Bob) Mai, and Janna (Dan) Higbie; grandchildren, Ryan (Kate) Mai, Kyle (Kayla) Mai, and Casey (Jake) Mai Pekoc, Tyler (Cailey) Higbie, and Erin Higbie; great-grandsons, Carter, Owen, and Kellen Mai; and her sister, Janet.

She was preceded in death by her father, William; mother, Mildred; husband, Jack; sister, Kay; brother, Bob; and her dear aunt, Ruth Case.

The family is deeply indebted for the exquisite care given to Donna by Loving Hearts Home Care, which allowed her to live independently in her final years.

A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Suggested memorials include the Swan Valley Elementary School Library Renovation Project, 6423 MT Hwy 83, Condon, MT 59826; Loving Hearts Home Care, LLC, 2311 Expedition Ct., Great Falls, MT 59405; the First Presbyterian Church, 1315 Central Ave., Great Falls, MT 59401, or any of the organizations Donna so graciously supported in her lifetime.