Remembering a beloved Stratford umpire who died during a tournament

The Stratford community is mourning the death of a beloved umpire who died suddenly over the weekend, during a tournament.

Rick Rogers was well known for his passion for the game, his quirky sense of humour and generous spirit.

“His sense of humor was a little off-the-wall, kind of an acquired taste, but I loved every minute of it,” said Jamie Woodend, a long time friend of Rogers.

Just before the start of the championship game on Sunday, the unthinkable happened.

“Rick had gone to get dressed, get ready for the last game, and then he was found by some fellow umpires,” said Woodend.

On Tuesday night, family, friends and players from the U13 and U17 teams gathered for a ceremonial first pitch at Ann Hathaway Park in Stratford to remember their friend.

Rogers was always involved with the game, playing baseball and slow pitch throughout his life.

In 1999, a devastating motorcycle accident forced him to stop playing but he still fought his way back to the diamond.

“He couldn’t play but he wanted to stay involved in the game so he became and umpire and became quite good at it,” said Woodend.

Rogers spent years helping others and now his legacy will continue to do so as the Rick Rogers Memorial Fund has been established .

“Any donations given to that fund will go to help fund equipment for young umpires as they are starting out, which is quite an investment to become an umpire,” Woodend said.

In a couple of weeks, a tournament will be held in Aurora with teams from around the region and PEI.

“They’ve decided on their own that they have named it the Rick Rogers Memorial tournament,” said Woodend.

It’s a touching tribute to the man who died surrounded by the game he loved.

Rogers leaves behind his wife and two children.