Joseph E. Spruill Jr., born in 1931 in Washington County, graduated from the University of Richmond in 1955 and its School of Law in 1958, where he was president of the student government association, a member of Kappa Alpha Order, McNeill Law Society, and Omicron Delta Kappa.  

He was a combat veteran of the Korean War (having been drafted after his junior year in college) remained in the Reserves after discharge from active duty and retired as a Colonel in the Air Force Reserves. He was awarded the Legion of Merit.

Mr. Spruill engaged in the general practice of law in Tappahannock and served for a time as Town Attorney for Tappahannock and served as the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Essex County from 1962-1972. He was appointed by Governor Baliles to the bench of the 15th Circuit for a term beginning September 18, 1988, and then elected by the General Assembly in 1989 and 1997 to eight-year terms.

Judge Spruill was very active in the affairs of his profession. He served as president of the Northern Neck Bar Association and the Fifteenth Circuit Bar Association. Besides serving on Bar Council and as State Bar President from 1976 to 1977, he was a founding member of the General Practice Section of the VSB and one of the first faculty members of the VSB Professionalism Course. He was in the 1984 Charter Class of Fellows of the Virginia Law Foundation.

Judge Spruill served for many years on the board of St. Margaret's School which awarded him an honorary diploma. He also served on the Board of Rappahannock Community College. Judge Spruill was a member of Tappahannock Memorial United Methodist Church, where he held many offices over the years. He was past president of Tappahannock Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow. He was a former scoutmaster of the local Boy Scout troop. He was a long-time board member of Southside Bank (now EVB). He was a member of The Jamestowne Society, The Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Virginia, and The Sons of the American Revolution. He was a member of the 55 Golf Association and The Commonwealth Club. He was a past president of the University of Richmond Law School Alumni Association and a former member of the University of Richmond Board of Trustees (1979-1983).

He was known for his deep love of his wife and family, good books, classical music, oil painting, golf, and quail hunting with his ever-faithful succession of English Setters. Judge Spruill died in 2017 at age 86.