Regina Wiitala Janosky (Kelly) of Connell, Washington, passed away at the age of 80 on Friday, April 24, 2026, surrounded by many of her family and friends.

Born in 1945 to William and Regina (Lennemann) Kelly, Regina was raised in California, graduating from Notre Dame Academy in West Los Angeles. Seeking a change from city life, she moved to Moscow, Idaho, to attend the University of Idaho, where she earned a degree in Bacteriology with a Medical Tech Option.

In 1966, Regina married Harlan Wiitala. The couple moved to Connell in 1968, where Regina worked at the Othello Community Hospital while Harlan taught English at Connell High School. Their first child, Derek, was born in 1971. In 1972, they embarked on a business journey that would define much of Regina's life, purchasing Connell's only motel and opened the Tumbleweed Motel. Together, they operated the motel, an adjacent gas station, and later opened the town's liquor store. Their second child, Jared, was born in 1974. Following Harlan's sudden passing in 1981, Regina displayed immense strength, raising her two sons as a single mother while successfully managing their family business. In 1994, Regina remarried to Frank Janosky, adding daughter Michele Thornton and her husband James (deceased 2025) to the family. Frank passed away in 1997 after a brief health battle. Regina remarried a final time in 2009 to James Nipper, until his passing in 2015 from Parkinsons. Regina remained a fixture of the local business community and was recognized as Woman of the Year by the Connell Chamber of Commerce in 2003. Regina sold her business and relocated within Connell, upon retiring in 2016.

Regina's home was a place of warmth, with an open door policy to friends, family and even strangers yet to become friends. Regina loved to cook, known for her lasagna, breakfast casseroles, ice-cream desserts and her delicious Christmas cookies and candies. She worked several years for the Booker Auction Company, helping them transition their auction business to a computerized system. Regina was a lifelong, active member for St. Vincents's Catholic Church, and many years with the Beta Phi chapter of Beta Sigma Phi, finding lifelong friendships within the community.

Regina is survived by her son Derek Wiitala, his wife Jeri Lyn and grandchildren Ciera, Angelina and Josie, her son Jared Wiitala, his wife Sharane and grandchildren Harlan and Reese, her daughter Michele Thornton and grandchildren Colton, Jessica and Kristin, her fifteen great-grandchildren, and her brother W. Edward Kelly and his wife Ingrid. Regina was preceded in death by her husbands, as well as her sisters Sr. Colette Kelly in 2017 and Mary Medina in 2022.