Nicholas Mark Sowders

Nicholas Mark Sowders, 33, of Beaumont, Texas, passed away on February 6, 2023.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, February 17, 2023, at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica. Officiating will be Reverend Shane Baxter of St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica in Beaumont, Tx.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. -7:00 p.m. Thursday, February 16, 2023, with a Rosary service taking place at 6:15 p.m., at Claybar Kelley-Watkins Funeral Home in Beaumont, Texas.

Immediately following the funeral service, a gathering will be held at Madison’s on Dowlen in Beaumont,
one of his favorite hangouts, where he'd often chill with his canine child, Rooster, who will probably be present.

Nicholas Mark Sowders was born in Beaumont, Texas to Mark Sowders and Deanna Leger Woods. Nick was a graduate of Evadale High School, Class of 2007. He excelled at Lamar Institute of Technology whereas he contributed to achieving award recognition at state and national levels in the SkillsUSA welding competition. Nick loved welding, not only as a profession, but also as a hobby and always had a variety of projects going on. He equally loved his dog, the gigantic brindle affectionately known as Rooster. When Nick started welding, nothing could stop him, he was in his element and people looked up to him professionally and during his time as an Instructor for LIT. He always had a captivating story to tell, and you couldn’t help but be drawn into his passion and ambition.

Nick was well rounded and could work on cars, as well as design and build practically anything. Nick proudly served in the Navy and had an active life. His love for his siblings was very evident, and possibly even more so for his various grandparents. May it be sharing looking under the hood of a Mustang or out fishing, Nick loved and admired his grandfathers, and received abundant love from his grandmothers.

He is preceded in death by his grandmother, Isabel Leger; and grandfathers, Paul Leger, Sr., Billy Sowders, and Jerry Woods.

Those left to cherish his memory are his mother, Deanna Leger Woods and husband, Jon; father, Mark Sowders; sisters, Victoria Sowders Taylor, and Rebekah Woods; brothers, Matthew Sowders, and Gabriel Woods; step-brother, David Woods; step-sister, Diane Morris; nieces, Viviane Morris, Lilah Morris, and Jane Morris; grandmothers, Kathryn Sowders, and Judy Woods; and numerous other loving friends and family.

Serving as pallbearers will be Jason Leger, Sam Christian, Joseph Leger, Tim Rone, Mike Andrie, and Doyle Morse.

A scholarship has been started at LIT in Nick's name. For details or donations, please contact the LIT Foundation at Scholarships@LIT.edu
As the students he taught, he'd be proud to see others continuing to learn welding "the right way" and continuing to build SE Texas.