Passing of Bill Smith
21 March 2017
North Harbour Softball mourns the passing of Bill Smith – one of our stalwarts – a true gentleman who had a legion of friends in the softball community.
Bill may have been slight in stature but his commitment to softball and in particular to his umpiring was immense. He held many positions within NHSA Umpires and Softball New Zealand Umpires, all of which he carried out with his quiet charm, quick wit and that big wide grin.
Bill loved his umpiring and even though he was qualified to umpire at the top level, he and his lovely wife Manu, never hesitated to umpire our Saturday morning games, mid-week games or junior tournaments, all of which he did in his unassuming but very professional manner.
His contribution to NHSA and in particular to the” umpiring community” over many, many years will not be forgotten and many of us will continue to remember Bill, sitting outside the Rosedale umpires room on a Saturday morning, with his crossword and offering his wise counsel to whoever approached him.
NHSA and all its members are invited by the family to farewell Bill at Schnapper Rock 10.00am Wednesday 22 March.
Regards
Heather Tapsell
Operations Manager
North Harbour Softball Association