Elisa D. Regalado

January 7, 1931 – February 2, 2020

Our beloved mother Elisa Regalado entered into heaven on Feb. 2, 2020, at the age of 89. Born on Jan. 7, 1931, Elisa was the last surviving child of the Diaz family of Las Cruces, New Mexico, where Vidal and Isabel Diaz raised all 12 of their children.

Elisa was born and raised in Las Cruces, and still proudly considered it to be her true hometown. She graduated from Las Cruces High School in 1949, and was proudly employed at the County Clerk’s office performing voter registration and election duties. It was a role that she still talked about fondly in her elder years. Elisa would go on to attend Latin American Bible Institute in Texas, where she met fellow student Daniel Regalado. In June of 1955, Daniel and Elisa were married, and immediately began a life centered around Daniel’s call to ministry. The pastoral duties began in Arizona, but they ultimately spent the better part of four decades serving in Washington state.

In 1966, they landed in Othello, Washington to pastor the Bethel Assembly of God Church. Othello is where they would establish their home, and raise six children: Rick, Ron, Ed, Charlie, Kathy and Jerry.

In the 1970s, Elisa joined the Carnation Company (later Nestle), where she was employed in the lab department until her retirement in the early 1990s. She was so grateful for her job, as it financially supported her family through those many years in the ministry. This included the nine years Daniel served as pastor of El Sendero Church in Moses Lake, Washington. They continued to live in their beloved Othello until 2013, when they moved to Spokane to be closer to family.

Elisa often showed love to her family by keeping them fed with some authentic New Mexico cooking. Her sauces were still handmade using only New Mexico chiles sent to her by family in Las Cruces. The whole family will miss that kitchen of hers. Her door was always open, and she was willing to help, regardless of the cost or effort involved.

She was a proud Mexican-American (as she called herself), and was truly patriotic and devoted to the USA. She was an avid Seattle Mariners and Seahawks fan, and even through the 2019 season, you could still find a schedule on her side table marked up with W’s and L’s for each game played.

She is survived by her daughter-in-law Nancy (Rick) of Spokane and children Ron (Kathryn) of Bellevue, Washington, Ed (Deanne) of Minot, North Dakota, Charlie (Linda) of Spokane, Kathy Alston (Jerry) of Corona, California and Jerry (Stephanie) of Pasco, Washington. She is also survived by 14 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and three on the way.

Elisa was preceded in death by her parents Vidal and Isabel, and all 11 of her brothers and sisters. She is also now rejoicing in heaven along side her eldest son Rick Regalado and loving husband Daniel Regalado.

Funeral services will be held at Bethel Spanish Assembly of God in Othello, Washington, on Feb. 22, 2020 at 12:30 p.m., with burial following at Bess Hampton Memorial Gardens, Othello, Washington.