William E. (Bill) Provin

William E. (Bill) Provin, 72, of Hot Springs, died Saturday, April 16, 2016 of injuries sustained in a fall. Mr. Provin was born and raised in Fort Smith, moving as an adult to Little Rock, Conway and Hot Springs. He earned his BSBA degree from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville in 1966 and later his MAI certification for commercial real-estate appraisal. He served in the Arkansas National Guard in the late 1960s. A lifelong entrepreneur, over the years, he had owned several businesses, including a Maaco franchise in Little Rock. He founded EduCare of Central Arkansas and conducted industrial research for IREC (Industrial Research & Investment Center). For 26 years, he owned Bill Provin & Associates, working as an appraiser of commercial real estate and as a broker specializing in hotels and motels. He retired in 2015. Mr. Provin loved life, enjoyed it to the fullest, and was known for his service and helpfulness to others. He was devoted to his grandsons—and stood out in the Lakeside School District for his "Pawpaw's Taxi" license plate. An avid fisherman and rescuer of dogs, including his special Lizzy and Chico, he also was a regular, insightful contributor to the Hot Springs Restaurant Reviews community on Facebook. Mr. Provin is survived by his beloved partner of 20 years, Kathy Jordan of Hot Springs; his brother, Dallas (Pat) Provin of Conway; his daughter, Michelle (Brad) Wilkins and grandsons, Ryan, Tanner and Brennan of Hot Springs; his son, Greg (Yifei) Provin of Dallas, Texas; his niece, Melissa (Jeff) West and great-nephews, Christian and Braeden of Conway; friend, Carole Provin of Little Rock, mother of Michelle and Greg; best friend, Dan Horton of Hot Springs; and many, many other dear friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, William Earl and Bette Mae (Aston) Provin. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., Tuesday, April 19 at First United Methodist Church of Hot Springs, 1100 Central Ave. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to the Humane Society of Hot Springs. The online obituary, guestbook, and memorial tribute are available at www.GrossFuneralHome.com.