Donna May Bryant

Donna was born on March 17, 1937, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to James Cockburn and Evelyn Lapp. She was preceded in death by her parents and by her beloved husband of 63 years, Reverend Donald Bryant. Together, Donna and Donald built a marriage anchored in devotion to God and to each other.

She is survived by her sisters, Jodi Lloyd (Ron) and Peggy Smith (Joe), and her sister-in-law, Jane Childress (Bruce). She was a loving mother to her sons, Errin Bryant (Brenda) and Mark Bryant (Prentiss), and to Robin Coker (Mark), whom she cherished as a daughter and whose children, Silas Coker (Melanie) and Aliye Coker she loved as a grandmother.

Donna met the love of her life, Donald, while attending Tupelo Bible College in Tupelo, Mississippi. They were married on December 27, 1958, in Toronto, Ontario, and together shared a long and adventurous journey. Their life was marked by service, faith, and a spirit of adventure that carried them across places, cultures, and friendships that enriched their walk with God and with each other.

Having served as long-time missionaries to Paraguay, their ministry did not stop when they returned to the States. Instead, their outreach continued to countless friends and extended family to whom they were a constant source of kindness and wisdom.

Donna’s memory will live on not only in the lives of her children but also in the countless others who were touched by her grace, strength, and unwavering faith.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes memorial gifts in Donna’s honor to First Pentecostal Church, to be directed to Asociación Educativa Nuevas Alturas (New Heights School International) in Lambaré, Paraguay—a ministry that held a special place in her heart.