William Arminger Skeen, a Baltimore lawyer and World War II veteran, died Thursday of a form of dementia at Brighton Gardens in the Woodbrook section of Baltimore County. The Roland Park resident was 85.

Born in Baltimore and raised in Govans, Mr. Skeen was a 1934 City College graduate. He earned a degree from what was then Western Maryland College, where he participated in boxing and golf. He was a caricaturist and often drew cartoons of his high school and college teachers; many of the drawings were published in school newspapers and yearbooks.

After graduating from the University of Maryland School of Law, Mr. Skeen served as a lieutenant in the Navy from 1942 to 1945. He was stationed in England.

After the war, he joined his father's firm, Frank, Skeen and Oppenheimer, in downtown Baltimore. He spent the last 20 years of his legal career with his sons at Wright, Constable & Skeen on North Charles Street. A specialist in maritime law, Mr. Skeen retired in 1992 after working as a lawyer for 50 years.

Mr. Skeen was an active member of Relay Presbyterian Church, now Hope Presbyterian Church. He enjoyed playing golf at Turf Valley and Rolling Road country clubs. He also was a member of the Kiwanis Club of Baltimore and the St. Andrews Society of Baltimore. In his spare time, Mr. Skeen played the piano and participated in several bridge groups.

His wife of 60 years, the former Ruth Jane Dygert, died last year.

Services were held yesterday at Govans Presbyterian Church, where he had been a member.

Mr. Skeen is survived by his four sons, William A. Skeen of Vero Beach, Fla, and David W. Skeen, James D. Skeen and Stephen D. Skeen, all of Baltimore; 11 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.