In Memoriam: Our Beloved Founding Partner John Frederick Moring (1935-2009)

John Frederick Moring, 73, a Washington lawyer and a founding partner of the law firm of Crowell & Moring LLP passed away on May 12, 2009 in Irvington, VA.

Mr. Moring was born in Farmville, VA in 1935. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond, VA in 1953. He earned his B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Virginia Tech in 1957. In 1961 he graduated with honors from George Washington University Law School, where he was an editor of the law review.

Mr. Moring began his career as an associate with Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP and became a partner in the Regulated Industries Department.He moved his practice to Jones Day Reavis & Pogue in 1978. In 1979, he became a founding partner of the law firm Crowell & Moring LLP, which has grown to be one of the pre-eminent law firms in the country.

Mr. Moring focused his law practice on energy matters and, more specifically, federal and state law issues related to local natural gas utilities. He was the lead counsel for many years of the Associated Gas Distributors, an organization made up of many of the largest gas utilities in the country, which litigated far-reaching and fundamental issues of federal energy policy as applied to the natural gas industry and provided utility industry guidance to federal and state energy policy decision makers in Congress and before state and local officials.

An active member of the Federal Energy Bar Association, Mr. Moring served as Secretary of that organization from 1963 to 1966 and as President from 1982 to 1983. He also wrote extensively on energy policy issues and served as a local gas utility columnist for the Natural Gas Journal, 1989-2000 and as a member of the editorial board of Natural Gas Contracts, 1994-2001.

Throughout his career, Mr. Moring supported public service and pro bono work in his law firm. He served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Washington Legal Counsel for the Elderly, 2000-2001.

Mr. Moring was a long-term resident of Alexandria, VA. He was an active member of Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill for 40 years, and served as Senior Warden. From 1989-1995, he served as a member of the Board of Governors of St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School, and he was president of the St. Stephen's Foundation from 1990-1993.

He served as Trustee of the Church Schools in the Diocese of Virginia from 1996-2008. He was a member of the Board of Governors of St. Margaret's School, Tappahannock, VA from 2002- 2008. He was a member of the Foundation Board of the Shrine Mont Conference Center of the Diocese, Orkney Springs, Va. from 2001-2008.

After his retirement, Mr. Moring moved to the Northern Neck of Virginia. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Margaret Clarke Moring of White Stone, VA, and his children, Martha Moran of St. Louis, MO, Beth Mangum of Weaverville, NC, Scott Moring of Annapolis, MD and Lee Moring, of Richmond, VA, as well as six grandchildren, and one sister, Macon Moring of Cartersville, VA.

A memorial service for Mr. Moring will be held on Tuesday, May 19, at 10:00 am at Immanuel Chapel on the grounds of Virginia Theological Seminary, 3737 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA. A reception will follow in the parish hall. The Seminary may be contacted by phone at (703) 370-6555.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Shrine Mont Conference Center, 221 Shrine Mont Circle, P.O. Box 10, Orkney Springs, VA 22845. Or, donations may be sent to Friends of Carter LaPrade Memorial Trail for its efforts to build a bicycle and pedestrian trail at PO Box 1494, Kilmarnock, VA 22482. Condolence messages may be sent via email to curriefuneralhome@verizon.net.

Download PDFs:

• In Memoriam (Biography)
• Memorial Service Information