Michele Lucille Bridges

Michele Lucille Bridges, 60, of Paola, Kansas, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, February 14, 2024. She was born on October 21, 1963 in Salem, Arkansas to Jerome and Helen (Metzger) Donner.

In July of 1965, Michele and the Donner family moved to Louisburg, Kansas, where she would complete her Elementary, Intermediate, and High School education. During this time, Michele thrived in athletics and extracurricular programs, graduating from Louisburg High School - Class of 1982.

Putting down roots in Paola, Kansas, Michele pursued multiple career endeavors that would pave the way in building a solid foundational network of friends collectively striving toward the betterment of the Paola Community. In 2023, Michele acquired her Real Estate License and found her niche as a Realtor working for Diamond Partners INC., Keller Williams Realty. In this role, her strengths and passions would come to fruition, working synergistically to further reinforce her genuine compassion for helping others. Michele selflessly dedicated her life to multiple non-profit and charity organizations, playing an instrumental role on the Events Planning Committee alongside cherished friends, Judy Gregory, Barb Fehling-Fisher, Ava Keimig, and Elaine England.

Michele was always known as the family's "glue" that not only kept the family together, but also brought the family together when geographically separated by land and sea. No matter how busy her life may have been, Michele always showed up for her nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews sports events, dance recitals, and the entire spectrum of synonymous events to show her love and support. She was empathetic, adventurous, determined, witty, cheerful, creative, and a beautiful human being in every way.

Michele is survived by her loving parents, Jerome Donner and Helen Hootz, her soulmate and light of her life, Scott Hanf, animated aunt, Janie Donner-Rankin, caring siblings, Tamara O'Malley (Donner), Darwyn Luat, and Jerry Dean Donner, fond cousins, Kathy Donner, Janet Donner, and Kimberly Donner Rentz, adored nieces/nephews, Branden Annino, Ashley Davis (O'Malley), Jennifer Goodman (Donner), Lowen Luat, Lindsey Leslie (Donner), Katie Bowman (Donner) and Thomas O'Malley. Michele was also a cherished great aunt to six grandnieces and four grandnephews that she loved and adored as her own.

She was preceded in death by her compassionate grandparents, James F. Donner and Gladys Donner, and loving uncle and aunt, James Lee Donner and Kathaleen Donner.



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