Donna Jo (Bay) DeLong

Donna Jo (Bay) DeLong, 70, died February 3, 2022, after living with cancer for over 12 years. She was surrounded by her loving family when she passed away at home in Thompson Falls, Montana.

Donna was born in Enterprise, Oregon, May 24, 1951, to Lora Myrtle (Dunn) Bay and Arthur Donovan Bay. She was raised in Imnaha, Oregon, home to the Bay family for generations. The Bays settled in the area traveling in covered wagons over the Oregon Trail. Donna moved with her children to Thompson Falls in 1973, eventually marrying the love of her life, Paul DeLong in 1984.

Reading was one of Donna's passions and having a Kindle finally gave her access to the amount of reading material she craved. She would pour over cookbooks for hours only to modify the recipes later, coming up with her own creations. She was a self-taught artist, painting birdhouses and beautiful flowers onto furniture.

Donna Jo was a welcoming hostess, making sure you had the best seat available in the house, everyone was "honey," and you never left hungry or empty handed. If she made a cheesecake or lasagna for someone in need, everyone got one. She left no one out. Her deck, which hosted many gatherings, was filled with plants and jaw dropping begonias. Although she didn't have room for a large garden, she loved to advise her daughters on what to plant, when to harvest and how to put up the bounty of their gardens. As excited for it all, as if it was her own.

She had numerous jobs and wore many hats over the years, but her focus and greatest accomplishment was her family. She was a wonderful mother. Paul and her were inseparable, her siblings saw her as a friend and second mother, her sons adored her and her daughters considered her their best friend and rock."Mammo" was always excited to see her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and made them feel smart, funny and very loved (as she did to all). To say she will be missed does not capture the loss felt by all who loved her, as Donna was a very loving and generous woman.

She is survived by her husband of 37 years, Paul DeLong; children, Leah (Shawn) Sorenson of Thompson Falls, Lonny Greenough of Sitka, Alaska, Lana Greenough of Thompson Falls, Landon Greenough of Helena, Montana, and Courtney (Jody) Doyle of Thompson Falls; siblings, Kirk (Margie) Bay, Carol Lanz (sons Sheldon and Shay Lanz), and Kim Bay, all of Thompson Falls; grandchildren, Tawny (Logan) Hill of Boise, Idaho, Ryne (Kaytlin) Sorenson of Thompson Falls, Caleb (Susie) Sorenson of Missoula, Montana, Jase Sorenson of Thompson Falls, Hannah Doyle of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Maddelyn Doyle of Spokane, Washington, Madison Mayfield of Thompson Falls, Reese Greenough of Milford, Michigan, and Mylee Greenough of Missoula, Montana; great-grandchildren, Araia Mayfield, Joshua Reed, Jacob Sorenson, Jaxon Doyle and Raylee Leap; and numerous nieces and nephews.