On Wednesday, my local community will bid farewell to an amazing gentleman.
His name was Willie, and I knew him because of his job as a soccer referee.
Good referees are hard to come by in our parts, so it was always a relief to see Willie take the field.
Like most refs, he wasn’t perfect, but we all knew he did his best to be fair.
It always amazed me to watch a man of his age (no disrespect meant) run up and down that field in the cold temperatures and frigid rain.
I loved the way he talked to the players on the field. He maintained a sense of humor even while parents were hollering, “Now c’mon, Willie. You know that wasn’t offsides.”
The thing that will stand out most in my mind is the respect Willie showed to his country.
Last season, I captured the following photo of him…
I know, I know. I needed to be standing at attention myself, but I was so moved by the sight of him, that I could not resist the urge to pick up my camera.
I am so glad I did.
Who knew that this spirited man would suddenly get ill? It seems like only a couple of weeks ago when he worked one of Chicky’s games.
Sigh…
Willie, we’re going to miss you more than you will ever know. Soccer games will not be the same without you.
Filed under: soccer | Tagged: referees, soccer, tribute | Leave a comment »
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