Year Inducted – 2016

Mark was born in Akron on June 18,1950 and grew up on North Hill in Akron. If you know him from the Hill, he is better known by the nickname Willie. He graduated from North High School in 1969 and enlisted in US Marine Corps in July of 1969. Mark was scheduled to deploy to Vietnam, but due to acute sudden illness, he was honorably discharged in June of 1970. Mark attended local umpire classes under instructor Ron Reed in 1986. He then graduated from Harry Wendelstedt Professional Umpire School in Florida in February of1987. Mark has umpired college baseball games at Akron University, Malone College, Walsh College, Mt. Union College, The College of Wooster, Geneva College, Hiram University, andCapital University. For high schools, Mark has umpired numerous Akron city series playoffs and championship games, district and regional OHSAA tournament games, and Ohio High School State semi-finals games Columbus, Ohio from 1997 to 2002. He has also umpired in the Roy Hobbs World Series in Ft. Myers, 30’s division from 1995-2000 and then in 2011. His awards have included the Summit Umpires Association Rookie of the Year, 1986; the Peanuts Johnson Award for Outstanding Service to Summit Umpire Association, 1998; and the Bailey-Wawrin Award for Outstanding Service to Summit Umpires Association, 2001. Mark has also assisted with training in the annual seven week umpire course for the Ohio High School Athletic Association with instructor Ron Reed; served as assistant instructor for Summit Umpires annual umpire clinics; he was Vice-President of the Summit Umpires Association in 1995 and President in 1996; an Executive Board member, Summit Umpires Association, 1997 ; 2002 and 2014 to present; and a member of the Summit Umpires Association, Ohio High School Athletic Association, N.A.S.O., and Roy Hobbs Umpire Association. He was employed as Emergency Medical Technician for nearly 30 years with local private ambulance companies and is now retired. Mark enjoys umpiring and collecting sports memorabilia. Devoted to daily workouts and physical activity, he believes inmaintaining excellent physical condition to enhance performance in umpiring. Married 33 years to wife, Phyllis, where they live in Akron. We live by the motto Love, Honor and Negotiate. A little something that started since the beginning of Mark’s umpiring career, the phrase DO GOOD! is spoken before he leaves for each game. (It is said twice for a doubleheader.) As of this writing, they have 3 sons and 5 grandchildren.