It is with heavy hearts that the family of Patrick Blaise Provitola announce his passing. His given name Pasquale Biaggio Provitola 94 of Asheville NC passed away on August 20, 2024. Pat was formerly of Miami, FL and Whittier, NC.
Pat was born in Brooklyn, NY to Mary and Joseph (Maria and Guiseppe) Provitola on April 20, 1930. His parents immigrated to the United States from Naples, Italy. He attended school in Brooklyn and worked from the age of 12 in various fruit and vegetable markets in Brooklyn to help his family financially: work of which he was very proud. He later operated his own fruit and vegetable market and worked for MacMillian Publishing until he enlisted the Navy in 1950.
He served in the Naval Aviation branch of the navy as a combat air crewman as an aviation radar technician during the Korean War on the USS Mindoro, the USS Block Island, and the USS Wright. After leaving the navy in 1954, he worked as a postal inspector for the US Postal Service in NY and Miami for 13 years. From 1966 until 1995, he was also a successful property flipper and served in various capacities on the Boards of several condominiums in Florida and the Virgin Islands. In 1989, he was hired as a TA at Riverside Elementary School in Miami. From 1990-1992, he served as the coordinator of the Community Involvement and Parent Outreach Program at Riverside Elementary. He was named the Miami Dade County Schools paraprofessional of the year in 1992 for the work he and those who worked with him performed in securing funding for school initiatives and for the work done to engage the parents of the students positively and proactively in the lives of the children and in becoming actively involved in the school. This was a job he loved.
After moving to North Carolina in 1994, Pat owned and operated A+ Educational Supplies in Dillsboro, NC and Eagles Nest at Capodimonte, a vacation rental outside of Dillsboro. Pat will always be remembered by family and friends for his business skills, compassion, loyalty, dependability, resourcefulness, enthusiasm, but most of all his love of life, animals and people.
Pat is predeceased by his parents, a brother, Eduardo and sister-law, Virginia, a sister, Bernardina, and brother-in-law, Joseph Quernheim. He was also predeceased by 1 feathered baby and 12 fur babies, both cats and dogs, he parented over the course of his life. Despite the immense sorrow Pat’s passing has caused, he leaves behind family and friends who will continue to honor him and the good person he was.
Pat is survived by his spouse and partner Ron of 42 years, his sister-in-law, Robin Moss (Aubrey) of Monroe, NC and his niece and nephew Dana and Robert Moss (Wendy) and their children in Danville, VA.
Funeral services will be held 1:00 p.m. Wednesday September 18, 2024, at Saint Eugene’s Roman Catholic Church with Father Pat Cahill of St Eugene’s officiating. Entombment will follow at Pisgah View Memorial Gardens. Arrangements have been made by Asheville Mortuary Services. Pat’s family would like to offer heartfelt thanks to all of the doctors, nurses, and CNAs at the Charles George VA Medical Center who have provided him with expert and empathetic care since he began going there in 2017. They would also like to thank Dr Steven Queen in Sylva for his expert care as well.
Memorials may be made to The Asheville Humane Society 14 Forever Friends Ln, Asheville, NC 28806 in Pat’s name should you choose to make a memorial donation in his memory.
See the original obituary HERE.