Prominent mental hygiene commissioner dies

GRAFTON -– Mental Hygiene Commissioner Lloyd W. Spring III died Feb. 13 of a heart attack at Grafton City Hospital. He was 57.

"Lloyd was a colleague and friend," said Linda Richmond Artimez, Director of Mental Hygiene and Treatment Court Services, Supreme Court Administrative Office.

Spring, who had served as a mental hygiene commissioner in the 19th Judicial Circuit (Barbour and Taylor Counties) since 1993, volunteered his time on several Administrative Office committees.

"He taught each year at the annual mental hygiene conference, served as a mentor for other commissioners, and was always willing to help and give whenever requested for the betterment of his fellow commissioners, the community and the courts," Artimez said. "He will be sorely missed."

Spring was born in Keyser on Oct. 8, 1953. He was a 1971 graduate of Grafton High School and a graduate of West Virginia University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science/history and accounting in 1974, a master's of public administration in 1976 and a law degree in 1989.

He practiced law in Grafton from September 1989 until his death.

He formerly was a Grafton municipal judge; prosecuting attorney, magistrate and justice of the peace in Taylor County; assistant prosecutor in Monongalia County; field auditor and employer relations representative for the West Virginia Department of Employment Security; and an eligibility specialist for the tri-county area.

He also formerly was an executive board member of the West Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Section and chairman of the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Institute and DUI Committee. He was a certified mediator of the United States District Court of the Northern District of West Virginia.

At the time of his death, he was president of the Taylor County Library Board and was an instructor at Fairmont State College and Alderson-Broaddus College.

He is survived by his wife, Pamela (Sapp) Spring, of Grafton; son, Lloyd W. "Buddy" Spring IV and wife, Emily (Husemann) Spring, of Columbus, Ohio; four nephews; and one niece.

Visitation is scheduled for Feb. 16, and the funeral is set for Feb. 17.