Former Springfield Bar president dies at age 81

The Springfield legal community lost an elder statesman when attorney Warren "Turk" Stafford died Monday at age 81.

A Seymour native, Stafford earned his bachelor's degree from Missouri State University in 1953, after spending nearly five years in the U.S. Navy. He then put himself through law school at night while working as an auditor at the Federal Reserve Bank in Kansas City. He graduated near the top of his class from University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School in 1958.

After working for Neale & Newman, Stafford co-founded the firm that is now Taylor, Stafford, Clithero, FitzGerald and Harris in 1974. He was most recently the firm's of counsel, defined by the American Bar Association as an attorney who is semi-retired but still practices occasionally and offers consultation. His client list, according to the firm's Web site, included New Prime Inc., United Fire & Casualty Co., Cana Insurance Co. and Midwest Fibre Sale Co.

"I've lost a great friend and a mentor," said Monte Clithero, who joined the firm in 1978, in a written statement provided by the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association.

Stafford was an active member of the bar, earning the SMBA Distinguished Attorney Award and serving as SMBA president in 1984.

Funeral services are tentatively planned at 1 p.m., Oct. 31 at Christ Episcopal Church.