Longtime president of First National Bank of Trenton Lewis Donaghey passed away on August 9 in Trenton after a brief struggle with pneumonia. He served as the president of the First National Bank of Trenton for 50 years, following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps. He worked with his father for 40 years and his son for 25 years at the bank, which has served Trenton and the surrounding communities for almost 120 years. The bank was founded in 1901 by Donaghey’s grandfather Jno [that’s the proper spelling] Donaghey.
Born in Trenton in 1937, Donaghey graduated from the University of Texas in 1960. During college, he met his wife of 60 years, Bonnie Cecelia Trice Donaghey. He was an honor student, president of Alpha Phi Omega and a member of the Silver Spurs service organization. After serving in the U.S. Army in Virginia and a subsequent stint at a national CPA firm in Dallas, the couple returned to Trenton, raised two children—Lewis Henry and Lorel Ann—and went to work at the First National Bank of Trenton.
Donaghey was a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church, where he sang in the choir, taught Sunday school and served in many other capacities. His study of the Bible and role in the church was the most important thing in his life outside of his family.
Donaghey is survived by his wife, two children and many cousins, friends and chosen family.
