Chani Lynne Washburn Obituary (1969

On Sunday, July 12, 2020, Chani Lynne (Meeks) Washburn fell asleep on earth and woke up in heaven after a courageous four-year battle with ovarian cancer at the young age of 51. Chani was born to Larry "Ed" and Mary Ann Meeks on June 12, 1969. Her sister and the other half of her soul, Cheri (Meeks) Grange, came four years later. Chani married her best friend and her one true love, Scott Washburn, on July 1, 1995. They celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on July 1st. They had the privilege of raising four daughters, Starla (Peter) Halverson of Puyallup, WA, Katie (Bobby Lee) Pottenger of Moxee, WA, Desiray (Lucas) Blanchard of Yakima, WA, and Randa Washburn of Yakima, WA. Their grandchildren include Allie Smith, Isaac Halverson, Kenzie Washburn, Bentley and Paisley Blanchard, and Ava and Hudson Pottenger. She is also survived by her mom, Mary Ann Meeks, her sister, Cheri (Monty) Grange, and nephews, Evan and Anson Grange. Tim Osterholm grew up in the Meeks home and gladly played the role of big brother. She is preceded in death by her dad, Larry Edward Meeks, just a few months ago. Chani was raised on her parents small farm in East Valley. She was proud to be a PK (pastor's kid) and her familys home became a regular gathering place for friends. Anyone who walked through the front door was treated like family, and many long-lasting friendships were formed. Chani loved to dance and enjoyed her time as a cheerleader, and later became the captain of the drill team. She graduated from East Valley High School in 1987. She then attended Bartlesville Wesleyan College (now Oklahoma Wesleyan University) in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and graduated in 1991 with her bachelors degree in Behavioral Social Science. In the summer of 1992, Chani returned to Yakima where she and her sister became roommates. Many memories were made at their little houses on 18th and 10th (you know you are smiling if you were there). It was during this time that Cheri introduced her sister to her chump friend, Scott Washburn. Thankfully Chani lost a bet, and Scott was allowed to take her on their first date. They were inseparable ever after. While Scott finished college, Chani began her career in accounting. Although her title as financial controller would become her livelihood, her true passion had always been working with people. When coworkers came to pick up their paycheck or collect an invoice, what they really received was a chance for their heart to be heard or their thinking to be challenged. Chani and Scott had a lot in common, especially their passion for working with kids and youth through Young Life and church ministries. Early on, Scott and Chani spent most of their time loving on kids through church. This love for kids quickly led them to opening their hearts and home to those they served. God soon made it clear that He had chosen them as parents to four incredible girls through a wild and crazy divine appointment that most people cant comprehend. Chani was dedicated to her family. Her girls kept her active with various church and sport functions throughout the years, and she had an open-door policy for all their friends, whom she was proud to be their second mom. Chanis girls also kept her busy more recently, with three weddings and five grandkids, all within three-years time. Being a Nana brought amazing joy and gave Chani an excuse to fuel her love for a good bargain (a.k.a. online shopping). Chani always looked forward to travelling with Scott on his business trips and she became quite the experienced vacation planner. Those close to her were often the benefactors of many trips and vacations, especially to her favorite places with either hot sun or rich history. Palm Springs became Chanis "happy place" to get away, relax, and create stronger bonds and memories with her sister, family, girlfriends, and their amazing pool boy, Scott Richard. Over the next several decades, Chani made her life about serving others in countless capacities. Even while undergoing chemo and grueling treatments these last four years, she never stopped serving. Because her heart and hands were invested in so many places, it would be impossible to list them all. She is most known for leading youth group, and multiple Bible studies for those young and old. She took hundreds of kids to camps, retreats and conferences over the course of her ministry. Serving on the core leadership team at Heights Church (f.k.a. East Valley Foursquare) allowed her to broaden the scope of her reach. Those experiences were followed with countless coffee dates, group dinners, sporting events, game nights and football Sundays. Chani will be remembered for her fun and charismatic personality. You could count on her to bring life to the party. She knew how to engage with others in laughter. No matter the ages, she could always make deep connections and infuse so much joy into the lives of those she encountered. She had a love for music and used her gifted voice every chance she was given to touch and inspire others. Chani was also a gifted event planner (her address was a daily stop for UPS and FedEx). Countless showers, weddings, parties, womens teas, Trunk-or-Treats, womens gatherings, baseball camps, and community center events kept her heart and schedule full. While the commitments and busyness were incredibly fulfilling, her life wasnt the sum of these single events, but instead about the combined opportunities that allowed her to form lasting one on one relationships. Chani always made everyone feel important. She invested her time into her relationships; from lengthy text messages to late night phone calls, coffee dates or road trips, worship practice or planning meetings, or just those hard-core accountability in-your-grill sessions (you know who you are). Simply put, her life was about loving God and loving people. She connected on such a deep level with so many, no matter how young or old, because she wasnt afraid to be real and transparent. She wasnt afraid to share her past in order to reveal what God had promised for her future and could do for others. Chani gave of herself in every way because she loved Jesus with a boldness and fierceness only a few dare to do. Her life absolutely reflected Jesus and, in her death,, she also continued to reflect the power of a risen Savior. In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to the Madison House Youth Center in her honor and send in care of Brookside Funeral Home (PO Box 1267, Moxee, WA 98936) who is caring for the family. The Madison House is an inner-city youth program that Chani worked with and it would be a blessing to watch her passion for youth be honored by your contributions. The family would like to give a special note of gratitude to the countless doctors, nurses, schedulers, and providers who helped Chani through this four-year battle. We would like to especially thank Dr. Dufault at Generations, Dr. Shah at Swedish Cancer Institute, Dr. Jones, Dr. Molina, the triage and treatment nurses, pharmacists, and phlebotomists at Memorials North Star Lodge, and most recently the hospice staff and nurses. It is truly because of your fast response, hard work, and caring spirit that Chani was able to endure so much and keep a smile on her face with an unwavering faith and attitude in the middle of the fight. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, April 24th at 1:00pm and there are a few ways to participate. The Service will be held at Yakima Foursquare, 700 N 40th Ave, Yakima WA 98908 or you can watch live online. Those in person will have to follow mask and social distancing requirements. Please feel free to dress as casual as you would like. For those who want to watch the memorial service live online, go to Heights Foursquare Church Yakimas Facebook page or Heights Church Yakimas YouTube channel on April 24th at 1:00pm and click the link. Memorials and condolences can be shared at www.brooksidefuneral.com. Memorial Service Yakima Foursquare Church Saturday, April 24, 2021 1:00 PM 700 N 40th Ave Yakima, WA 98908