Obituary

John D. Sowers, Jr., passed July 25, 2022, at home in Buckhannon, WV, at age 64, after a long illness. He was born July 27, 1957, in Fairmont, WV, to the late John “Don” Sowers, Sr., and the late Joyce Ann Sloan Sowers, both from Marion County, WV.

He was predeceased by daughter Jennifer Sowers and grandparents Vance and Elma Sloan, formerly of Mannington, WV, along with Robert Sr. and Anna K. Sowers from McDowell County, WV.

He is survived by a grandson, Devon; former wives, Terry and Mindy; brother, Thomas, an Arizona State University alumn and Certified Public Accountant licensed by the California Department of Consumer Affairs with plans to open locals offices in Institute, WV, adjacent to the campus of West Virginia State University; and uncle, Robert Sowers, Jr. of Southport, NC, along with many other caring relatives and friends whose hearts he touched as a member and sponsor of Alcoholics Anonymous in Northern New Jersey, the Kanawha Valley and Upshur County, WV.

He was retired from Nowak Machinery of Dover, NJ, as a defense contractor and a key man, heading up quality control. John spent his early years growing up in Marion County, where the Sowers-Nunnally family hailed from. His father, Don, a civil engineer, moved the family throughout Virginia while serving the Thomas M. Nunnally Construction Co. of Fairmont, WV, in association with Willey N. Jackson Construction Co. of Roanoke, VA, before joining the international consulting firm of Howard, Needles, Tammen & Bergendoff Architects & Engineers with whom he worked on projects in Buffalo, NY, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tokyo, Japan and the New Jersey Turnpike. When the opportunity arose to return to his beloved West Virginia in 1975, Don was tasked as Project Engineer for expansion of the West Virginia Turnpike.

John attended the Escola Americana do Rio de Janeiro, New York State Military Academy, Newburg, NY, and Hopatcong High School, Lake Hopatcong, NJ. He earned his Certificate of Divinity from Lancaster Theological Seminary, Lancaster, PA.

Come celebrate John’s life with friends and family on Friday, September 2, 2022, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Barlow Bonsall Funeral Home, 1118 Virginia Street, East, Charleston, WV. Food and refreshments will be furnished by the Olive Tree Cafe’ and Catering and the Lee Street Lounge. Food Among the Flowers will be providing floral designs, 304-345-7994.

For those unable to attend, there will be a future announcement of inurnment services of partial cremains at Beverly Hills Memorial Gardens, Morgantown, WV. Other members of the Nunnally-Sowers family may announce another inurnment service at a later date.

You may send condolences to the family at www.barlowbonsall.com.

Barlow Bonsall Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.