USA Softball Region 9

John umpired with the Snohomish County Softball Umpires Association for more than 15 years. He umpired at the highest levels of Slow Pitch softball across the nation and worked the inaugural “Border Battle” International Championship in Oklahoma City in 2009, receiving a perfect all excellent evaluation rating from Mr. Profato. (A rare fete indeed) When you look at John’s evaluations, the name Bernie Profato appears often. Those of you who remember Bernie know that he was the most respected and knowledgeable person in America when it came to umpiring the great game of Slow Pitch Softball.

John worked numerous Men’s Major Slow Pitch championships. His excellent game management skills and abilities gained him the recognition and respect of the National Office of ASA/USA Softball, where he would receive assignments directly from the Regional/National Offices. John worked his first Men’s Major Slow Pitch National Championship in 2005, then became a fixture at this event until his retirement in 2011. Even after retirement, the National Office would ask if he would be interested in coming out and working the “Border Battle”.

For more than 3 decades John worked to recruit, train and develop umpires across Region 15 (9). John worked hard to perform at all levels of umpiring and his dedication to ASA/USA softball was unreproachable. Often he would volunteer to help plan, organize and develop umpire training syllabus for local association training programs. John always participated in State, Regional and National training schools and UIC’d Districts, State and Regional slow pitch tournaments for Men’s, Women’s and Senior softball.

John served as Snohomish County’s Slow Pitch Deputy UIC and filled in as Tournament UIC, assignor, organizer and director. He would do whatever was asked of him with very little direction. John would often spend hours at his home or on the phone planning and organizing ASA training, schools, tournaments, especially with his good friend Jack Floyd.

It would be remiss if we didn’t give thanks to his wife, Theresa and two daughters Melissa and Alona.