Donna Jean Smith, 80

Donna Jean Smith, a lifelong member of the Kalispell community, passed away on June 28, 2025.

Donna was the only child of Austin and Hulda Smith, born at Kalispell General Hospital. She grew up in Kalispell, attending the newly rebuilt Elrod School beginning in 1952. The original West Side school was destroyed by fire in 1950. She went on to attend school at Central and Linderman Junior High. She graduated from Flathead County High School in 1963. She was a proud alumnus of the University of Montana.  

Donna was married in Kalispell and moved to Seattle for many years. She was later divorced.

Among her many jobs were Cherry Warehouse and Montgomery Ward in Kalispell. While in Seattle, she worked at Safeco Insurance Co. for many years. She was also a season ticket holder for the Seattle Supersonics, of which she was very proud.

After many years in Seattle, Donna returned home to be near her mother. She continued to work in the insurance industry for several years in Kalispell. She also worked in retail at Books West, International Design and Timeless Treasures Antiques and Accents. She fully retired in 2010.

Donna was a cat lover of eight cats during her lifetime. She was a walker, a recycler, a snow shoveler, a leaf raker, and a reader of many books and magazines. She loved puzzles and was an avid sports fan, including Flathead High School. She was a big part of the committee for reunions for the class of 1963. Donna volunteered over the years for the Humane Society of Northwest Montana and the Kalispell Senior Center. For five years, she volunteered at Elrod School in the first and second grade combination class, listening to many children read their books to her. Her recall of Kalispell downtown history was amazing. She could tell you what used to be in every building downtown, what’s there now and the architecture of the building.

Donna’s roots were deep in Montana and the Flathead Valley. Her paternal grandmother’s family came to the Flathead Valley in 1900. Her maternal grandparents came from Norway and Minnesota, then homesteaded north of Chinook, ultimately moving to Kalispell. Donna’s parents, Austin and Hulda, met and married in Kalispell. The family home was purchased in 1938 and has been in the family ever since.  

Donna was preceded in death by her father, Austin and her mother, Hulda.  

She is survived by many cousins throughout the northwest and in Norway, and by many friends.  

While Donna claimed she had no family, she was surrounded by many friends whom we told were her family. She had an incredible memory for names and the details of those she met. If she worked with you, went to school or worked with you, or met you somewhere along the way, she had a knack for remembering your name. What a gift!

A private interment will be held at Conrad Memorial Cemetery. A gathering to celebrate Donna’s life will be held on July 31 at the Kalispell Senior Center at 3:30 pm. We look forward to celebrating Donna's life with you.