Ed Reimer

Builder (2001)

Softball

Ed Reimer has been a registered umpire with Softball Saskatchewan since 1972 and among many tournaments, has worked at the world championships four times and been an umpire or umpire-in-chief at 10 Canadian championships.

Ed was born at Rosthern on June 23, 1933, and also lived in Davidson before moving to Saskatoon when he was nine years old.

He played softball at the Senior B level by the time he was 17, playing with the CNR Carmen, who won the provincial championship in 1960, and later played with College Lads for one season and the Saskatoon Firefighters.

He took up umpiring in 1972, was elected umpire-in-chief for Saskatchewan in 1974 and held the position until 1982. During that time, he spent 10 years as president of the Saskatoon Softball Association. He organized a two-day clinic for Saskatchewan umpires in 1976, a clinic that became the model for future training, and he also supervised numerous provincial playoffs and selected Saskatchewan talent for national championships.

His first major assignment at the world championships was at the fast pitch playoffs in Santa Clara, California, in 1981, where he was one of two Canadians in the crew. Ed was among the umpires when the ISC world's men's championships came to Saskatoon in 1987. Another of his important roles came during the world junior men's fast pitch championships at Summerside, Prince Edward Island, in 1989 and a year later, he was on the umpiring team for the world men's Challenge Cup in Saskatoon.

Ed was named man of the year by Softball Saskatchewan in 1977, won the Darren Lipinski Memorial award from the Saskatoon association in 1979 and received the outstanding service award from Softball Saskatchewan in 1979. In 1989, he was among seven people in Saskatoon recognized by the Saskatchewan Culture and Recreation Department for their contributions as volunteers.

In his work with young people, Ed also coached in minor hockey, including the Pewee Aces during the 1978-79 season. In bowling, he coached the Saskatoon zone boys' team to a gold medal performance at the 1975 Saskatchewan Winter Games at North Battleford and, a year later, took a Saskatoon girls' team to the provincial finals.

His life away from sports was as a firefighter and he was honored with the Fire Services exemplary medal of service in 1995. Ed and his wife, Irene, we were once named Softball Saskatchewan's couple of the year.

** Deceased