Dennis Russell Provencher
April 30, 1944 - May 5, 2017

Dennis Russell Provencher, age 73, of Englewood died on May 5, 2017. He was the loving friend, companion, and husband of Deborah "Debi" Elliott Provencher, his wife of 12 years. He was the loving father of two sons, Ryon Dennison, who preceded him in death and Korey Charles of Los Angeles, California. He is survived by his sister, Cheryle Mitchell of West Greenwich and her husband, Shawn, and Dennis' niece and nephew, Tracy Lombardi and Chad Mitchell. He also leaves behind many friends and golfing buddies who enjoyed his sharp wit and generous heart. Denny will be missed on the course for his sense of humor, beautiful golf swing, and sportsmanship.

Dennis was born in Providence, Rhode Island to Wilfred "Pitt" Provencher and Eleanor Mulvaney Provencher, of West Greenwich, Rhode Island and Bradenton, Florida. He was a graduate of Coventry High School Class of 1962. He served in the United States Navy and U.S. Marine Corps and moved to Oklahoma following his military career. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cameron College in Lawton, Oklahoma and earned a Masters of Education degree from the Florida Gulf Coast University. Degrees aside, his proudest moment was the hole-in-one he sank in 2007.

Dennis and his family settled in Englewood in 1979, becoming an active member of the community. As the director of the Englewood Parks & Recreation Center, he oversaw their summer youth programs and softball leagues. In 1988 he joined the staff at Liberty Elementary School in Port Charlotte as their Physical Education teacher, from where he retired with the respect of his fellow teachers and admiration of his many years of students.

He is still "Coach" to many in the area from his Saturday mornings guiding players on the fields and courts of Englewood Little League, Englewood Youth Soccer, and Englewood Youth Basketball Club. In 2007, he co-founded The Ryon D. Provencher Memorial Fund, a scholarship and youth enrichment organization aimed at supporting children in the community. He anxiously looked forward the fund's annual golf outing, The Provo Open, and was instrumental in making "The Provo" a successful and much-anticipated event. Many also looked forward to the Bloody Mary's he served on Hole #9 every year.

He was a member of the Moose Lodge, the VFW, and AAA. Dennis was an excellent golfer, a skill he tried with great patience to pass along to both his sons. He was a skilled list maker, artist, and carpenter, having learned the later from his father. He was a frustrated fan of the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and much less-frustrated fan of the New England Patriots. He enjoyed comedy films and television, and never missed an episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

A memorial service to commemorate the life of Dennis R. Provencher will be held on Saturday, June 17, 2017 at Rotonda Golf & Country Club, The Hills Clubhouse, 100 Rotonda Circle. Please join Dennis' wife, Debi, and son Korey, beginning at 1:00 p.m. The longtime Englewood resident and retired Liberty Elementary School teacher died on May 4th.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be directed to The Ryon D. Provencher Memorial Fund. P.O. Box 284, Englewood, Florida 34295.

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