Gentleman Rex Brown (Mr. Umpire) Dies
Rex Brown, the most decorated softball umpire in West Sound history, passed away Monday night. He was 85.
Rex’s health hasn’t been good in recent years. He was on dialysis the past three years.
Brown has been inducted into just about every Hall of Fame, including the Amateur Softball Association’s National Hall of Fame for umpires. Rex and his wife, Mary Jane, traveled the world as he become known as one of the best clinicians and umpire in chief’s in the sport. He was a father figure or a big brother for many of the umpires working local games today.
“No doubt about it, he is Mr. Umpire for this city and probably the state,” said Pat Westhoff, a former ASA state president and district commissioner.
Dick Todd, who followed Brown as the area’s assigning secretary and later state UIC, said Brown was the reason he got into the game as a sports official.
His obituary is attached. You can read more about Rex online and in The Sun’s printed editions on Friday.
Rex Brown
of Bremerton
Oct. 7, 1923
to Jan. 12, 2009
Veteran
Rex Royal Brown died on January 12, 2009.
Rex was born in Charleston, WA on Oct. 7, 1923, to Charles Lumen Brown and Odie Omega (Royal) Brown. He went Bremerton High, class of 1942. He married his wife of almost 65 years, Mary Jane (Flesher) Brown, on April 4, 1944.
He served in the Navy during WWII. He worked at PSNS from 1942-1980 in Sheetmetal, planning and estimating.
He had 2 brothers and 3 sisters. He is survived by 4 children, Elaine Wick (Dale), Michael Brown (Joy), Ellen Thornton (Dennis), Dean Brown, 9 Grandchildren and 4 Great-grandchildren.
He was an umpire and referee for local teams from the late 1940’s. He retired from umpiring in 1993.
He is in the National Hall of Fame for Umpires, and the local sports Hall of Fame.
He was a member of the B.A.R. He served as Washington Umpire in Chief from 1972-1981. He was on the ASA National Staff from 1981-1993, has toured the world giving umpiring clinics. He was UIC for 5 National Tournaments & 2 World Tournaments, umpiring for 2 Olympic Festivals.
Services will be Tuesday, Jan. 20 at Lewis Funeral Chapel.
Viewing:10:00 AM – 1 PM, Service at 1:30 PM
Memorials: Olympic Peninsula Kidney Center, 2740 Clare Ave, Bremerton 98310
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January 15th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Mr. Brown is another of the super class individuals to past from the ASA Family. Region II (Mid-Atlantic) offers our heartfilled regrets for Rex’s family, Northwest Region 15 ASA and all of ASA’s lose.
January 15th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
The term “they broke the mold when they made him” was written specifically for Rex Brown. He definitely was one of a kind and will never be duplicated. I was fortunate to work with Rex on the ASA staff and the unique quality that I will always remember about Rex is that he never, at least never in my presence, got mad or angry and he never said anything negative about anyone. He and Mary Jane were beautiful people. He will be greatly missed by our umpire family.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:47 am
Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to Mary Jane and the Brown family. We will keep you in our prayers and thoughts in this time of sorrow.
Dave & Donna Epperson