Dr. Springer

Dr. Frank A. Springer died peacefully on December 22nd after a short illness. He was 94.

Frank was born in 1923 to Frank and Vera Springer in his childhood home in Elmwood, WI. Frank remained close to his older sister and brother, Dorothy Estes and Dr. Joe Springer throughout their lives. He often expressed how lucky he was to have been born into such a wonderful family.

An accomplished story-teller and writer, Frank told many tales of an idyllic childhood growing up in Elmwood, riding horses through the countryside and conducting science experiments in the cellar. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for undergraduate and medical schools, and in 1946, at the age of 23 entered the Navy. Soon thereafter he was deployed to the South China Sea as medical officer for a destroyer group.

Following his discharge from the Navy in 1949 Frank was accepted into a neurosurgery residency in California. On a visit to Elmwood prior to starting his residency, the local doctor and one of Frank's early heroes, Dr. A.L. Breed, asked him to step in for the day to see his patients as he was ill. So began Frank's more than 50 years of taking care of multiple generations of Elmwood's residents. He delivered more than 3,000 babies, treated injuries and ailments small and large, and made endless house calls after long days seeing patients. Frank took great joy in being a physician and taking care of his patients and often said he got more from helping people than what he gave them. Frank was a humanist of the most admirable kind. In 2000 he retired from clinical practice, but continued seeing patients at the Dunn County Health Care Center until 2015.

Frank's interests and curiosity were boundless. He had a lifelong fascination and respect for Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. He was a poet, a cellist, an astrophile, an avid reader, and a lover of nature. He brought a buoyancy of spirit to every interaction. His spirit and humor remained strong until the end. When you were spending time with Frank, you never thought for a minute that there was another place on earth that he'd rather be.

In 2007 Frank married Dawn Holden Springer and moved to Madison where he became active in PLATO (Participatory Learning And Teaching Organization), attending classes in writing, philosophy, world history, religion and physics. Frank and Dawn were also avid lovers of music and participated in the Carnival group. He and Dawn, in their decade together, enjoyed all that Madison had to offer.

Frank is survived by his wife, Dawn Springer, his children Susan Keith, Mary Springer, Jenny Weber and Frank Springer, Jr.; his step-children Bernard, Kathryn and Ian Barrie; and his many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nephews, nieces, great-nephews and nieces, great-great nephew and niece, and all of their extended families, whom he delighted in and loved dearly. For many in the younger generations of the family, Frank was the link to their family history and heritage, and he took that responsibility very seriously.

Many thanks to the Right at Home caregivers and Agrace Hospice for their wonderful loving care and support.

A celebration of Frank's life will be held on Sunday, January 21, 2018 at 3PM at the First Unitarian Society Meeting House at 900 University Bay Drive in Madison, Wisconsin.

Please share your memories of Frank.

Cress Funeral & Cremation Service
3610 Speedway Road Madison
(608) 238-3434