Professor Raymond Spring Passes Away
Washburn University School of Law is saddened to report that Distinguished Professor of Law Ray Spring passed away Saturday, March 24, 2001. He had been hospitalized earlier in the week with worsening breathing problems. The memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 27, 2001 at Central Congregational Church in Topeka, Kansas.
Professor Spring was a 1959 graduate of the School of Law. He served as Dean of the law school from 1970-1978 and was a member of the faculty for 36 years, beginning in 1965. He was a nationally recognized authority in the field of Law and Mental Disability and served the profession in a wide variety of ways, including service of the Governor's Committee on Criminal Administration, the Pattern Instructions for Kansas - Criminal Committee, and the Kansas Board of Attorney Admissions. He twice served Washburn University as Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs between 1989-1991.
His passing is an immeasurable loss to the Washburn Law School community and he will be greatly missed.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Raymond L. Spring and Lois Stratton Spring Endowed Scholarship in the Washburn Law School Foundation.
The following obituary appeared in the Topeka Capital-Journal, Sunday, March 25, 2001, p. B8.
Raymond Lewis Spring, 68, Topeka, died Saturday, March 24, 2001, at a Topeka hospital.
Mr. Spring was a distinguished professor of law at Washburn University, where he served as dean of the law school from 1971 to 1978. He was interim vice president for academic affairs at WU from 1988 to 1991. He was a leading contributor to the interdisciplinary studies of law and mental disabilities and he was on the faculty of the Karl Menninger School of Law and Psychiatry.
Mr. Spring served as a member of the Kansas Board of Admissions of Attorneys and was on the pattern instructions advisory committee of the Kansas Judicial Council.
He had written various reference law books and "The End of Insanity." He also was the co-author with Dr. Roy Lacoursiere of a law textbook, "Patients, Psychiatrists and Lawyers: Law and the Mental Health System."
Mr. Spring was named distinguished professor in 1978. He received the Distinguished Service Award from Washburn Law School in 1987 and the William O. Douglas outstanding professor award in 1980.
He was born Aug. 5, 1932, in Warsaw, N.Y., the son of Lewis and Anna Spring. He attended St. Lawrence College and enlisted in the Air Force during the Korean War. He was assigned to Forbes Air Force Base as a B-29 pilot in 1953. He earned a bachelor's degree from Washburn University in 1957 and graduated from the WU School of Law in 1959.
Mr. Spring was associated with Crane, Martin, Claussen and Ashworth in Topeka from 1959 until he joined the WU staff in 1965.
Mr. Spring was on many civic boards and governmental organizations, including the Kansas State Historical Society, the Governor's Advisory Committee on Mental Health and the human studies committee of the Colmery-O'Neil VA Medical Center. He was a member of the bar associations of Topeka and Kansas, the National Eagle Scout Association and Central Congregational Church.
He married Lois Stratton on Dec. 18, 1955. She survives.
Other survivors include three daughters, Stephanie Spring Cox, Sheila Polter and Susan Schiffelbein; a son, Lewis Spring; a sister, Avis Pattridge, Leroy, N.Y.; and nine grandchildren.
Cremation is planned. Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Central Congregational Church.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Washburn Law School Foundation or to Central Congregational Church.
Penwell-Gabel Midtown Chapel is in charge of arrangements; phone: 785-354-8558.
