Dr. Precha Suvunrungsi

Dr. Precha Suvunrungsi, 85, of Killeen, Texas, passed away on December 1, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of compassion, service, and healing that touched thousands of lives. Born on September 28, 1940, in Bangkok, Thailand, Dr. Precha grew up the eldest of five children to Gov. Choochai and Bunghan Suvunrungsi. From an early age, he nurtured a deep curiosity about the world and a strong desire to help others, qualities that guided him toward his lifelong calling to medicine.

Dr. Precha earned his medical degree from Chulalongkorn University in 1964 and completed his residency in 1967 at Queens General Hospital in New York City, where he was recognized for his clinical strengths and compassionate bedside manner. After beginning his career in Manhasset, New York and Boston, Massachusetts, Dr. Precha, together with his wife, Achariya, and young son, Paul, moved to Killeen, Texas, in 1972. Throughout his distinguished career, he dedicated himself to the practice of Internal Medicine with skill, humility, and unwavering commitment to patient care.

Colleagues remember Dr. Precha as a physician who listened deeply, treated every patient with dignity, and approached each challenge with thoughtful judgment and steady resolve. He collaborated generously with peers and contributed meaningfully to hospital leadership, nursing home care, and community health programs, serving as Medical Director of the Greater Killeen Community Clinic. Patients and families often remarked on his kindness, gentle reassurance, and ability to bring comfort even in the most difficult moments.

Beyond his professional life, Dr. Precha was a devoted husband, father, brother, grandfather, and uncle. He found joy in his children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, bringing the same compassion and attentiveness to his personal relationships that defined his medical career. He also found fulfillment in travel, photography, gardening, and tending to his koi ponds, pursuits that balanced the demands of medicine and enriched his life.

Dr. Precha is survived by his wife of 59 years, Achariya; his children, Paul and Michelle (and her husband, Matthew); and four grandchildren, Madison, Magnus, Miles, and Maeve. He also leaves behind his siblings, Boontharee Phoonchai (and her husband, Somphan), Yuthachai Suvunrungsi (and his wife, Rachaneepas), Ngamchit Palanitisena, and Pimchai Jantz (and her husband, Dennis), and his beloved nieces and nephews and their children. He is also survived by sisters-in-law, Suvanee Karawanan and Sopa Asanarong; his nieces, Sumonnart and Suvimol (and her husband, Lawrence); and their children, Landon and Laureline. He was preceded in death by his parents, Gov. Choochai and Bunghan Suvunrungsi, and his mother-in-law, Prachum Asanarong.

In accordance with Thai Buddhist funeral traditions, ceremonies will take place over three days beginning Friday, December 12 from 4 to 8 p.m., continuing Saturday, December 13 from 4 to 8 p.m., and concluding Sunday, December 14 from 4 to 8 p.m., at the Harper-Talasek Funeral Home in Killeen. Each day will begin with a visitation at 4 p.m., followed by a ceremony at 5 p.m. led by Buddhist monks and a reception. The family welcomes friends, colleagues, patients, and all whose lives Dr. Precha touched to gather on any or all of these days to honor a life devoted to healing and service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dr. Precha’s name to the Greater Killeen Community Clinic.