Obituary: Titchenal, Janet Radene
Age 69
Jan was raised with six sisters and two brothers and graduated high school.
She married Orvil K. Gunter Sr. and had two boys.
Jan lived in California a short time and then moved to Washington State for good.
She lived in the Tri-Cities briefly and then decided to follow her sister Suzanne to Spokane, WA from 1970-1979.
During that time, she got divorced after being married to Orvil for 10 years and then married Frank Titchenal of Edwall, WA and moved to a farm near Reardan, where she lived for the next 30 years.
When Frank passed away in February of 2009, she moved in with her son and his wife where she passed away on February 7th., 2014 after fighting ovarian cancer.
As a child, she loved camping, embroidering, riding bikes, dancing with her friends (especially to Elvis music), cats/dogs, reading, library, etc.
As an adult, she enjoyed traveling, gardening, helping Frank on the farm, feeding the cattle, spending time with her cats and dog Mandy, maintaining extended family relationships, ceramics, Christmas time, snow (she hated getting snowed in), spending time with her sister and her family, traveling to see her relatives and friends (especially her childhood friend Linda Hubbs and family), and going to see Elvis in concert.
Jan has worked in restaurants, as a secretary for Gould Inc., as a church secretary and custodian, as a secretary for her brother-in-laws David’s insulation company, as a housewife, and then what she called her best job ever…providing day care to granddaughters.
One of the biggest offerings she gave in her life was serving God and her church (Reardan Presbyterian Church) for over 35 yrs.
She served as the custodian, secretary, ordained elder, clerk of the session, Officer of the Presbyterian Woman, prayer group, prayer chain, and other committees.
Jan volunteered for the local library for many years and was an avid supporter of Volunteers of America and Teen Challenge.
Jan was very proud of her sons and family, she liked to say “Wow, I raised sons who keep people safe and secure; Jeff (Hawk Man) graduated with a social work degree and Ken, who is a long time Boeing employee, both keeping people safe and secure, on the ground and in the air, how great is that?”
Jan also was a strong advocate for people with mental illness and a witness and appreciative of how far mental health services and laws have improved since the 1960’s.
Jan loved getting on Facebook, it allowed her to stay connected and not so alone.
She didn’t like a lot of attention and did her good deeds quietly, but effected so many.
Jan was a role model for patience, forgiveness, generosity, and maintaining her strong faith in the Lord.
She loved all her family, friends, and Church unconditionally.
John 14: 27.
Kim and Jeff Abe-Gunter would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to Hospice of Spokane (Nurse Angie, Social Worker Sandy, and bath aides), Kim’s sister Debbie (providing companionship and personal care for Jan in the last weeks of her life), to friends, family, work colleagues (Kim and Jeff’s co-workers from DSHS’s Developmental Disabilities Administration), and to the people and families who Jeff provides services to along with services providers (thank for the support and well wishes), and especially to Linda Hubbs, mom’s best friend from childhood.
Linda helped in Mom’s care and to be with the Abe-Gunter’s and mom right before her passing, and after to console us and mother us like my mom would.
Finally, an extra thank you to Paul Means, Dr. Schimpf, and Dr. Webb.
Janet was proceeded in death by her second husband Frank Titchenal, first husband Orvil Kenneth Gunter Sr., sisters Ruth Ames, LaRee Epperson, Helen Roylance, and Patricia Reed; brothers Floyd Roylance and Duane Reed.
She is survived by her sister Suzanne Bretting and husband Larry; sons Orvil Kenneth Gunter II and wife Diana, Jeffry Paul Abe-Gunter and wife Kim; step-son Paul Titchenal; step-daughter Wanda Titchenal and Wylie Vohries; grandchildren Rhett Michael Paul Schmidt (Gunter), Orvil Kenneth Gunter III, Joshua Jeffry Aaron Schmidt (Gunter), Brandon Gunter, Justin Gunter, Morgan Abe-Gunter, Delany Abe-Gunter, Tate Titchenal, Travis Titchenal, Tysen Titchenal, Tyna Sprecher, Michelle Larson, Mark Larson and Matt Larson; nieces and nephew Fred Ames, David Ames, Sharlene Russell, Neil Bretting, Corey Bretting, and numerous great-grandchildren and great-nieces and nephews.
Graveside services for family will be held Saturday, February 15, 2014 11:00 am, and a public Celebration of Life will be held at 1:00 pm at the First Presbyterian Church of Reardan, WA 150 West Spokane Ave., Reardan, WA.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be sent to: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) at 10 N. Post St., Suite 368, Spokane, WA 99201; or Reardan Presbyterian Church at 150 West Spokane Ave., Reardan, WA 99029