Donna Jean Paris

Donna Jean Paris

Sept. 9, 1960 – Aug. 26, 2021

Donna Jean Paris passed away on August 26, 2021, after a two-year battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).

Donna was born September 9, 1960, to Martin and Yvonne Trumps in El Campo, Texas. Her parents were pastors and church planters, so she spent much of her early years in many different parts of the country, including Texas, North Carolina and Montana. 

After graduating high school, she attended Christian Life College in Stockton, California, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in worship music. Donna had a very musical upbringing in which she enjoyed singing gospel music in church with her siblings. 

After settling in Billings, Donna married her sweetheart, Rod Paris, in 1988. The couple remained in Billings, where they had two children, Zach and Denae, were heavily involved in church ministries and also established Rod’s Big Sky Bakery. After receiving a ministerial call to help start a church in Cody, the family relocated in 2002. Donna immediately began work at Big Horn Federal Savings Bank as a teller. She loved her team at Big Horn Federal, where she made many lifelong friendships. 

After Rod’s sudden passing in 2012, Donna was given the opportunity to relocate to Greybull to work for Big Horn Federal’s home office. She soon became the chief operations officer for the bank and completed a graduate certificate at the University of Colorado Graduate School of Banking. She loved her job and was an extremely hard worker. She worked for Big Horn Federal until her retirement in June 2020. 

Donna was known for having a big heart and making the things in which she involved herself better. She loved to play games, travel with her siblings, children and grandchildren and be involved in church ministries. She deeply loved her church family at The Pentecostals of Cody. 

Donna is survived by her children, Desta Paris, Zach (Janelle) Paris and Denae (Michael) Thomas; sisters Norma Walston, Erma (Tom) Humphries, Sharon Vickery and Ginny (Tom) Winchell; grandchildren J.J. Erwin, Daisha Thomas, Cahlia Paris, Liam Thomas and Aylin Paris; along with countless nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles who will miss her very much. 

Memorial gifts may be made to the Donna Paris Memorial Fund at Big Horn Federal Savings Bank.

Visitation with Donna’s family was held at Ballard Funeral Home on Tuesday, Aug. 31, from 5 to 7 p.m. Funeral services were held at Ballard Funeral Home on Wednesday, Sept. 1, at 10 a.m. Bal An, an online guestbook, is available at www.BallardFH.com.