Gene Michael "Doc" Karam

Kinder, LA-A Mass of Christian burial honoring Dr. Gene Michael "Mike" Karam, 89, will be held on Monday, September 29, 2025, at 11 a.m. at St. Philip Neri Catholic Church in Kinder. Fr. Alan Trouille will officiate. Burial will follow at Kinder McRill Cemetery immediately following the service. All arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Ardoin/Allen Parish Funeral Homes.

The family will receive friends and visitors at Ardoin/Allen Parish Funeral Home of Kinder on Sunday, September 28, 2025, from 2 to 8 p.m. with a Vigil Service beginning at 5 p.m. followed by the recitation of the Holy Rosary. Visitation will resume on Monday, September 29, 2025 at Ardoin/Allen Parish Funeral of Kinder from 8 o'clock a.m. until time of service.

Mike, affectionately known to many as "Doc", was born in Kinder on February 12, 1936, the son of immigrants and youngest of three children to parents Tom and Bonnie Karam. A lifelong resident of Kinder, Mike devoted his life to service and family - both through his profession as a dentist and through decades of civic involvement that touched nearly every corner of Allen Parish.
As valedictorian of the Kinder High School class of 1954, Mike played basketball and was voted most popular by his classmates. He then attended Loyola School of Dentistry in New Orleans, where he met his lovely wife, Janet Ursula Wagnon. Following graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, and attained the rank of Captain.
The couple returned to Kinder, where he opened his dental practice. For more than five decades, he cared for generations of local families, all while faithfully and lovingly serving his own. Mike valued the town of Kinder for what he called its base foundation-a tremendous faith community at the churches and the education department at the schools. His love and dedication to his family and community were demonstrated through a lifetime of civic service, serving in the church choir, as charter president of the Kinder Chamber of Commerce, longtime member of the Rotary Club, and founder of the Allen Parish Tourist Commission. As Adjutant of the American Legion, he worked tirelessly to preserve local history and honor veterans. Mike will be remembered not only for his professional achievements but also for his humor, generosity, and most of all his steadfast love for his wife, children, and extended family, which will live on through the generations.

Those left to cherish Mike's memory include his loving wife of 64 years, Janet Ursula Wagnon Karam of Kinder; four sons, Dana Karam of Kinder, Dr. Peter Karam of Lake Charles, Dr. Michael Thomas Karam (Alana) of Creswell, OR, and James Karam (Nicole) of Lake Charles; three daughters, Laura Karam O'Brien (Dennis) of Lantana, TX, Julie Marie Karam, and Molly B. Karam, both of Kinder; 19 grandchildren-Elias, Thomas, Ann-Elyse, Ava, Jack, Michael, Andrew, Jordan, Conner, Bonnie, Edward, Gunnar, Knox, Colton, Carson, Georgia, Emma, Avery, and Ace; 8 great grandchildren-Hannah, Carter, Blake, Colton, Hunter, Rhodes, Ayanna, and Archer; nephews Ken and David Karam; and a wide circle of extended family and friends.
Mike is preceded in death by his parents, Tom and Bonnie Karam; one brother, John David "J.D." Karam; and one sister, Sister Rita Karam, RSCJ.

Words of comfort may be sent to the family at www.ardoinfuneralhome.com and on Facebook-Ardoin/Allen Parish Funeral Homes.

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