The Man. The Myth. The Legend.

L.A. (which he often joked stood for "Lovable and Adorable") was born June 29, 1944 in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Ray Price and L.A. Bienvenu Sr. He spent his formative years in Catholic school, where he quickly became a favorite among the nuns, even though he was regularly smoking in the boys' bathroom! After high school, L.A. earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

Upon graduation from LSU, L.A. joined the U.S. Air Force, where after Pilot Training, he was assigned as an A-37 fighter pilot. He was deployed to Vietnam where he flew 214 Close Air Support missions. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and eight Air Medals. Returning to the U.S., he continued to fly as an instructor pilot for many years in the A-37 Dragonfly and then later the A-10 Thunderbolt II. Overall, L.A. served 33 years in the active Air Force and Air Force Reserve at several Air Force Bases around the country. He served in senior positions at Headquarters 10th Air Force and at Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command. He retired from the Air Force as a Colonel. His most prominent positions, as a senior officer, were as the Commander of the 930th Fighter Group and as the Commander of the 442nd Support Group.

In those 33 years, he became a father to his first daughter, Jeralyn with his 1st wife, Donna. A few years after the couple amicably parted ways, L.A. met, fell in love with, and married Pamela Jolean (“PJ”). He became father, or “Swatzy,” to her two children, Kelly and Sean. Amanda was born in 1983, and the family continued to move around, serving their country, making friends wherever they landed, and ultimately settling in the Austin area where L.A. retired and cared for PJ until her death in 2011.

In 2014, L.A. met Charlene Nance. Together, they lived a full life while enjoying the company of each other’s families, traveling the world, or simply enjoying a cup of coffee on the back porch.

L.A. never met a stranger and made friends wherever he went. He found the most joy in watching his daughters grow up and create families of their own, and loved being a Popi and Pop Pop to his grandkids, Gabrielle, Aidan, Kennedy and Brooks. Following in a close second was enjoying his Bud Light with friends he met along the way. Pretty much everyone he knew throughout his 80 years, would in fact agree that he was pretty darn “Loveable and Adorable.”

LA. is deeply missed and always remembered.