Ronald T. Sponberg

Ronald T. Sponberg

1950-2021

Ronald T. Sponberg (70) passed away in Houston on May 23, 2021, while surrounded by his loving family. Prior to his death, Ron had been in a year and a half long battle with pancreatic cancer, having undergone treatment at MD Anderson Institute in Houston and the Chan Soon-Shiong Institute for Medicine in Los Angeles, California.

Ron was born on July 13, 1950, and was heartily welcomed into the loving home of his parents, Oliver and Anita Sponberg of Austin. Ron grew up in Austin and graduated from McCallum High School in Austin. Thereafter, Ron attended the University of Texas where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government with High Honors and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. 

While at UT, Ron was also active in Alpha Phi Omega and Chi Phi, service and social fraternities, respectively. Thereafter, Ron continued his academic pursuits at the University of Texas School of Law, graduating with a J.D. with honors in 1975. While at law school, Ron was a member of the Texas Legal Research Board.

Immediately after graduation from law school, Ron joined Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) and soon thereafter transitioned into the ARCO Legal Department where he worked for 20 years, occupying a series of oil and gas legal positions in Dallas, Los Angeles and Midland. After the creation of the ARCO partially-owned subsidiary, Vastar Resources, Ron transferred to Houston where he served Vastar as Associate General Counsel for 5 years, functioning as the head oil and gas lawyer for the company. When ARCO and Vastar were subsequently merged into BP Petroleum in 2000, Ron was asked to stay on with BP for a year and a half handling all Vastar legacy oil and gas litigation and related disputes.

Subsequent to the transition through the BP merger, Ron became Senior Corporate Counsel with Baker Hughes Inc., with responsibility for the creation and implementation of a new Foreign Corrupt Practices Act compliance program covering all operations worldwide. This compliance regimen became known as one of the leading programs of its type in the oil and gas and oilfield services industries.

With around 12 years of service with Baker Hughes under his belt, Ron retired from his active in-house practice in 2014, some 39 years after law school.

While in DaIlas in 1977, Ron met Barbara Collier (the love of his life) in a class for young singles at Highland Park Presbyterian Church. They were married later that same year on December 10 in Highland Park Presbyterian. Together they raised two wonderful daughters, Jennifer (39) and Carolyn (36). Both of them were born in Dallas but experienced their formative childhood years in Midland. In 2004, Jennifer graduated from Texas A&M and married JP Whalen, her high-school sweetheart. Jennifer and JP reside in Houston where they have given Ron and Barbara four grandchildren, two sets of twins, Claire and Adam (10) and Maddie and Ryan (8). Carolyn resides in Houston where, after becoming a Doctor of Audiology in 2013, she married Todd Bagchi in 2015. Ron's and Barbara's daughters and grandchildren are the source of greatest happiness to the both of them. Ron is also survived by his loving sister, Sharla Sponberg Lehrmann of Austin and her two daughters (his nieces), Sarah Lehrmann Bromiel of Golden, Colorado, and Lisa Lehrmann of Austin.

The entire family continues its long-standing use of the lake property on Lake Travis near Austin, originally acquired by Oliver and Anita Sponberg in 1954. The lake place maintains its role as a center for family gatherings and activities, with the grandchildren now being the fourth generation to enjoy this special experience.

Ron has been a life-long Christian, and in the last 12 years he made St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston his church home. He was active in the Men of St. Martin's Bible Study group, which became a source of great friendships and provided strength needed in recent years.

A service will be held at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road, Houston, Texas, 77056, at 4:00PM on Friday, May 28, 2021. As another option, you may view the service by visiting https://stmartinsepiscopal.org/funerals/ and clicking on the "Live Stream Link" under Ron's name. If you cannot view this service live, it will appear on the St. Martin's website for 3 weeks. Remembrances may be made in Ron's name to St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Men of St. Martin's Bible Study Fund, 717 Sage Road, Houston, Texas 77056.