Arthur P. Sowards

SOWARDS, Arthur P., aged 93, passed away at the Springfield Medical Center on Wednesday after a lengthy illness. He was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Bernice, and his parents, Paris Sowards and Geneva (Potter) Sowards. Art was the last of nine siblings. He is survived by several nephews and nieces and his beloved schnauzer, Muffin. Art was born in Pound, Virginia in 1923 and was raised in Ezel, Kentucky. He served in the 5th Air Force in the Pacific Theater during World War II, seeing service in New Guinea, the Philippines, Okinawa and in the occupation of Japan. While serving in Japan he witnessed the devastation caused by the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. It was while serving in New Guinea that he came to admire the beauty of the white impatiens, a flower native to that part of the world. Every spring, he would plant dozens of those flowers around his home. He was very proud of the fact that he received a Springfield Beautification Award several years in a row. Following his return from the war, Art attended the University of Kentucky on the G.I. Bill. He was a life-long fanatical Kentucky Wildcat fan. During his years at UK, he never missed a single home basketball game. Graduating with a degree in agriculture, his intention was to become either a county extension agent or a vocational education teacher. Instead, a part-time job as a shoe salesman led him to manage and eventually own with his wife Bernice, the Carmen's Shoe Store in Springfield. Carmen's was one of the last retail stores to close in downtown Springfield. Both Art and his wife Bernice were devoted to the game of golf. Services are to be held on Monday at 1:00 p.m. in the CONROY FUNERAL HOME with Rev. Dwight McCormick officiating. Visitation will be held one and a half hours prior, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Internment will be in Ferncliff. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to either Hospice of Dayton or the Northminster Presbyterian Church in Arthur and Bernice's memory.