Janelle Whaley, 69

With her family by her side, Janelle Louise Whaley, 69, went to be with Jesus on May 29, 2026, after a yearlong, courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. She was born in Long Beach, Calif., on Aug. 15, 1956, to Lynn W. “Sam” and Arlene Richards. She and her family moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in 1967. She graduated from Coeur d’Alene High School in 1974.

In March of 1975, she married the love of her life, Jim Whaley. Together, they had three children. In 1987, she and Jim were invited by their special friends, Mel and Charlotte Stone, to Fruitland Bible Camp. It was there that they made the decision to follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They went on to partner with the summer camp by helping in the kitchen and leading the young boys' group. They became very involved in their church, from teaching Royal Rangers to singing in the choir.

Janelle had a gift for working with children. She had a successful career in the Coeur d’Alene School District as part of the Special Education team at Sorensen and Skyway elementary schools. She retired in 2017. After retirement, she went on to enjoy her days spending time with her family, gardening, baking and finding opportunities to make someone’s day.

Janelle is survived by her husband, Jim Whaley; her brother, Jim Richards (Connie); her daughters, Jaime Bennett (Jeremy) and LeAnne Kruger (Charlie); her son, Seth Whaley (Jennifer); 11 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and numerous friends and family members who love her.

Janelle was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. Her love, devotion, selflessness, kindness and her faith in God are just a short list to describe the wonderful things about her. She will be deeply missed and cherished in this life by all who have had the privilege of knowing her. We look forward to the reunion in Heaven.

A celebration of life will be held at noon Saturday, June 13, 2026, at The Altar Church, 901 E. Best Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.

We sincerely thank all of the staff at North Idaho Hospice and the Kootenai Health Cancer and Infusion Centers for the special care they provided for Janelle.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to Janelle’s favorite local organization, The Union Gospel Mission Center for Women and Children at 196 W. Haycraft Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815; 208-665-4673.

Yates Funeral Home has been entrusted with the final arrangements. Please visit Janelle’s online memorial at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.