Juanita Havlina Lyle

Juanita Havlina Lyle

Jan. 2, 1931 – Apr. 25, 2024

Juanita Havlina Lyle passed away on April 25, 2024 at East Adams Rural Hospital in Ritzville, Wash.

Juanita was born on January 2, 1931, to Joseph Havlina, Sr. and Neva (Edwards) Havlina in Pasco, Wash. and grew up on the family’s farm near Connell, Wash. Juanita graduated from Connell High School in 1948, after which she attended Washington State University. In 1954, she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree from WSU and the St. Luke’s School of Nursing in Spokane, which partnered with the college. At WSU, she met her future beloved spouse, Rex Lyle, whose family farmed near Hatton, Wash. After their marriage, they moved to the farm and began their family of four children, Chris Lyle (Elizabeth Shinn), Nadine King (Daniel King), Kevin Lyle (Debora Hilmes) and Stephanie Lyle.

Rex and Juanita moved from the Hatton farm to Ritzville in 1960 when they expanded their family farming partnership with Rex’s brother Elwyn, leasing farmland near Marcellus. Juanita applied her excellent culinary skills as she fed a large crew of workers during each summer’s harvest season, and simultaneously grew her extensive cookbook collection. In addition to fulfilling her responsibilities as a busy farmer’s wife, Juanita worked as a registered nurse at the Ritzville Hospital. After retiring, she served for thirteen years as a member of the Ritzville Hospital Board of Directors.

In 1981, Rex and Juanita moved into the home they built in Ritzville, where Juanita indulged her passion for maintaining her yard and flower gardens. She enjoyed book club meetings with fellow members of the local AAUW, and she treasured her friends from the local Methodist Church. For several years Juanita participated with the Spokane chapter of Healing the Children, at first by hosting a teenage girl brought to the U.S. for surgery, and later as a grant writer. Involvement with this organization included Rex and Juanita taking a round-the-globe trip with other chapter members, visiting branches of the organization serving children abroad needing medical care. Their participation led to them adopting their Korean-born son Tom in 1988.

Rex and Juanita celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in 2023. Juanita is survived by four children, ten grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren, and by her brother, Joseph Havlina, Jr. She was preceded in death by her sister, Gloria Harper, by her beloved husband Rex, recently deceased on March 17, 2024, and by their son Tom, who passed away in 2020.

A visitation will be held Thursday May 9th, 2024 from Noon to 5:00 p.m. at Danekas Funeral Home Ritzville, Wash.

A memorial service will be held at the Ritzville Trinity United Methodist Church on May 10, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. Following the memorial, burial will be held at 3:30 at Mountain View Cemetery in Connell, Wash. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Trinity United Methodist Church or to the Inland Northwest Chapter of Healing the Children.