02/02/2021 1 Minute Read

WBSC Softball Hall of Fame umpire Wayne Brown passes away

In 1995, Brown was named the ISF North American Regional Umpire in Chief and held that title until 2005.

Canadian WBSC Softball Hall of Fame member Wayne Brown, who dedicated his sporting life to umpiring, passed away at the age of 72 on Sunday, 31 January. Brown was inducted into the WBSC Softball Hall of Fame in 2007. He served as the International Softball Federation (ISF) North American Regional Umpire in Chief from 1995 to 2005.

“Our sincere condolences to Wayne’s family and our extreme gratitude for sharing him with the softball community,” stated Softball Canada CEO Hugh Mitchener. “He is indelibly linked to the excellence of our umpiring program and as such tens of thousands of umpires have been positively impacted by him. We are all so fortunate that he shared his knowledge, passion and generosity of spirit with us.”

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Brown began his career as an umpire in 1969 and was promoted in 1975 to work national events. In 1986, Wayne was promoted to Deputy Umpire in Chief (UIC) for Softball Canada before being named as the National Director of Umpires in 1994 - a reign that lasted until 2004.

In addition to all his work at the national level, Wayne also represented his country on the international stage, serving as an on-field umpire at the 1989 WBSC (ISF) Junior Men’s World Championships. He later held the position of Deputy Umpire-in-Chief for the 1997 WBSC Junior Men’s World Championship, the Men’s Softball competition at the 1999 Pan American Games, the 2001 Women’s and 2002 Men’s Pan American Championships, and the 2002 WBSC Women’s Softball World Championship. He was also an Evaluator at the 2001 WBSC Junior Men’s World Championship.