Dr. Louis Provenza, 67, of Wichita Falls, passed away on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Rosary will be at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 9 ^th at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. The funeral mass will be at 11:00 a.m. Monday, May 10 ^th at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Jonathan Demma officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Lunn's Colonial Funeral Home.

The son of Louis and Rosalie Provenza, Dr. Provenza was born on January 23, 1954 in Shreveport, Louisiana. He attended Jesuit High School in Shreveport, then graduated with a B.S. in Biology from Tulane University in 1975.  He continued his education at Tulane University through medical school, graduating with an M.D. in 1979 and following with an Internship & Residency in Neurological Surgery, in which he became Board Certified. Throughout his career, Dr. Provenza was a member of numerous professional societies and served on countless committees dedicated to patient care.  He was the recipient of several awards and was the first physician in Louisiana to perform artificial disc implantation.  Above all, his patients were always his priority and his focus.  His dedication to them was paramount.

While Dr. Provenza's commitment to his career was significant, his love for his family was his greatest passion.  An avid family man, you could hear Dr. Provenza brag about everyone in his family but himself. The doting brother to three fabulous sisters, he loved to tease them relentlessly and thought they all hung the moon.  He was also a proud father, grandfather (affectionately known to his grandchildren as O-o), and dedicated husband whose greatest joy was his wife Becky. She was the absolute love of his life, and will be for all time.

When he wasn't at the hospital or with his family, he could be found in the air flying. Dr. Provenza started flying at a young age with his father and continued the tradition of "The Flying Provenzas" in his large, Italian family.  He often spoke about how beautiful the cloud patterns were during flight and shared his knowledge of aviation excitedly with his grandson Luke.

With his move to Wichita Falls, Dr. Provenza found a community filled with friendship.  Wonderful neighbors welcomed him and Becky with open arms, and the rest of the community followed suit.  His best friends, Joe Prothro, Diaz Murray and Gene Willingham were often the highlight of conversation and provided him with incredible friendship, through discussions about everything from aviation to the effectiveness of using air horns to scare buzzards out of the yard.  Dr. Provenza was always surrounded by love.

Dr. Provenza was preceded in death by his parents, Louis and Rosalie Provenza.

He is survived by Becky Whitten Provenza (wife), Michelle Provenza (daughter), Benjamin Provenza (son), Rebecca Owen (step-daughter), John Suarez (step-son), sisters, Diana Provenza Landry, Andrea Provenza Madden and Anne Provenza Sandefur; grandchildren Luke Owen, Evelyn Suarez, Amelia Owen and Sadie Suarez; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.  Such a gentle man, renowned for his kindness, he will be deeply missed.

For those desiring, memorial contributions may be sent to Friends of Notre Dame, care of Wichita Falls Area Community Foundation (2405 Kell East Blvd., Suite 100, Wichita Falls, TX, 76308).

Services can be live streamed by going to Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 1501 Ninth Street, Wichita Falls, TX 76301 Livestreaming via Facebook or YouTube.

Mask required and social distancing encouraged.