Dr. Edward "Ed" Payson Springer III

Dr. Edward (Ed) Payson Springer III of McLean, Virginia, passed away peacefully on March 2, 2025, at the age of 87. He was born in Washington, DC, on February 10, 1938, to Agnes and Edward (Ed) Payson Springer II.

Ed grew up in Arlington, Virginia, and after graduating from Gonzaga College High School in Washington, DC, he attended Georgetown University with an academic scholarship before he began to prepare for a life as a Jesuit. Ed continued his classical education at Saint Isaac Jogues in Wernersville, Pennsylvania. During his time with the seminary, he taught math and English at Scranton Preparatory School, where he was also the tennis coach. Ed then went on to earn his master's degree in classics from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama. After considerable deliberation, he departed the Jesuits. He met his beloved wife Joanne after returning to the Washington, DC area, and they married in 1972. They settled in McLean, Virginia, and raised their three children. While juggling family life and his job, he completed doctoral studies in counseling psychology at George Washington University. At this point, Ed began his professional calling as a college professor and therapist. In addition to a private practice, he was a counselor and psychology professor at Northern Virginia Community College for 34 years and also taught at American and Marymount universities.

Ed was an enthusiast of many hobbies. A day well spent would include fishing, going to a race track, and performance driving a Porsche. He was a member of the Porsche Club of America (Potomac Region) for many years. Ed spoke fondly of his love of a summer cabin his father and family built on Coltons Point, Maryland, and places along the coast, including Point Lookout, St. Michaels, and Chincoteague; they continued to be favorite getaways throughout his life. He was also a very involved member of Holy Trinity Church for over 50 years. Ed participated in several groups and activities, including Movie Moments of Grace, the Conscious Living Group, a men's group, and a humanitarian trip to Haiti in 2010. Ed valued his education, especially learning languages, as highlighted by his ability to read and speak Latin, Greek, and German. Throughout his life he continued to admire the tenets of Jesuit teachings and sought to see God in all things and to be contemplative in action.

He is survived by his three children: Edward Springer of Merritt Island, Florida, and his wife, Kara Springer, and their sons Edward (Payse) and Slayton, Suzanne Springer of Montreal, Canada, and her husband, Matthieu Verrette, and their sons Samuel and Daniel, and Patricia Tatro of McLean Virginia, her husband Peter Tatro, and their children Kyle and Madeline. He is mourned by his brothers Karl (Pat) and Lawrence (Josiane) Springer, sister Teresa (Jim) Puckett, brother-in-law David (Delores – deceased) Bennett, and their families, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. He is preceded in death by his father and mother, sister Delores (Lorrie), and his loving wife of 52 years, Joanne Springer, whom he missed every day after her passing only a few months ago.

A funeral mass will be held at Holy Trinity Catholic Church (36th Street, between N and O Streets, NW, Washington, DC 2007) on Monday, March 31, 2025, at 10:30 am. A reception will follow at the restaurant 1789 (1226 36th St. NW, across the street from the church).

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Ed's memory to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

"It is not our job to remain whole. We came to lose our leaves, Like the trees, and be born again, Drawing up from the great roots." - Robert Bly