Mark L. Birdwell

Mark Leonard Birdwell passed away in his sleep on the morning of September 19, 2022. Mark
was born on October 9, 1958 to Leonard Ray Birdwell and Betty Cunningham Birdwell. Mark
was the second of three boys with brothers David Len Birdwell, the older and Gary Michael
Birdwell, the youngest. Mark’s early years were spent in Illinois where he played little league
and began his musical journey by choosing to learn to play the drums in 5 th grade at Beecher
Elementary School. He quickly became an accomplished drummer and was chosen for the
school Pep Band and played his first performance at a school basketball game, kicking off the
set with Windy, by the Association. When the family moved to Houston in 1974, in addition to
his drumming, Mark’s love of art began to grow. He attended Cy-Fair High School where he
began sculpting in clay and won numerous awards, including one from the Houston Livestock
Show & Rodeo. After high school Mark worked several industrial jobs. During this time, he also
joined with some close friends and performed in a band called After Hours at local venues. He
loved performing with the band. Eventually he opened his own ceramics shop, The Bird’s Nest.
After a while, he closed the ceramic shop to focus on larger sculptures including several
monumental bronzes while still doing other ceramics work from his garage studio in the
Woodlands. Mark also taught drum lessons and provided encouragement to aspiring
drummers in town. His passion for music never wavered. During this time, he endured
numerous medical issues that impacted his ability to work as he had previously. More recently,
Mark’s time and energy was focused on his granddaughter Lilly. The time he spent with Lilly
and their relationship brought incredible joy to his life. For the last 20 years Mark has been a
member of Woodlands Church of Christ. He is survived by his mother, brothers,
granddaughter, numerous other family members, and close friends.