Her kindness and caring spirit, her unconditional love and acceptance, and her sharp sense of humor will be missed by all who knew her.
Donna was born on September 30th, 1956 to Griffin and Elizabeth Gregory, the second of four children. She was born and raised in Memphis, TN. They moved often to different parts of the city, mostly in the Colonial Acres area, sometimes to the same street twice. When not in Memphis Donna spent a lot of time at her Memaw and Pawpaws in Caldwell, Arkansas catching tadpoles and playing in the cotton field.
A true fiery redhead, her creative spirit showed up early in her habit of decorating her bedroom and curating her own spaces. This carried on into a love of art and decorating that stayed with her for her whole life.
Donna’s faith was central to her life. She spent a lot of time studying her Bible, praying, and serving others, sharing the peace she found through Christ.
She met her first husband, James Stephenson, through church. They were married in 1983 and had two children, John and Kimberly, who she loved deeply. When James became ill, Donna cared for him until he passed away in February of 1997. She devoted the next 10 years of her life to raising her young children, with the help of her own mother, Libby, who moved in with them in 2003 after Greg passed away.
In 2007 Donna met James Allen, Jim, and they fell in love quickly. They met in September, were engaged by Christmas, and married March 22nd of 2008. While some may think that quick, anyone who has spent any time with them could see that they were the example of true love and what a marriage should be like.
She was preceded in death by both of her parents and her first husband, James Stephenson.
She is survived by her husband Jim Allen; their combined children John, Kimberly, Chrissy, Merri, Witt, and Neil; ten grandchildren; two great grandchildren; her siblings, Bob, John, and Beth; her puppy, Baby, and a large, well loved, extended family.
Visitation will be held at Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, 3700 North Germantown Parkway, Bartlett, TN 38133, on September 6, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm. The Funeral Service will follow at Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, 3700 North Germantown Parkway, Bartlett, TN 38133,on September 6, 2026, at 2:00 pm. Graveside Service will take place at Memory Hill Gardens, 3700 North Germantown Parkway, Bartlett, TN 38133, on September 6, 2026, at 3:00 pm.
