The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Brent Spence was considered a “first class” internationally certified umpire, who cared just as much about the sport as he did for his family, according to the Bahamas Softball Federation (BSF) in mourning the loss of the official who was based in Grand Bahama.

The native of New Providence, who moved to Eleuthera at the age of two where he went to school and began playing softball, Spence passed away on Thursday. He was a mechanical technician at the Freeport Container Port in Grand Bahama.

The 57-year-old served as the deputy chief umpire in charge of the Northern Bahamas, which includes Abaco, Bimini and Andros.

He left to mourn his wife Rochelle, son Brent Jr and two daughters Brennae and Breah and a host of relatives and friends.

“He was a hard worker. He died trying to get back to work,” his wife of 25 years said. “We found out in September when he fell out in the United States that he had a heart problem. From September to January, he was trying to get back to work. He went back on Tuesday and he died on Thursday.

“He was definitely a hard worker, who was committed to being a great provider.“

After being born in Nassau, Spence was sent to Gregory Town, Eleuthera at the age of two, upon the death of his mother, to stay with his grandfather. At the age of four, he was adopted by the late Livingstone Parks and his mother.

Although they knew each other for seven years prior to being married, his wife said after their children were born, they left Eleuthera for Grand Bahama in 2006 (where she was born) and they spent the past 15 years there.

“He was a first-class gentleman. As an umpire, you would want to go on the field with him because of the level of professionalism that he brought to the table,” recalled Thomas Sears, the chief umpire for the BSF. “As an internationally certified umpire, he carried out his job diligently.”

Spence, who attended the Governor’s Harbour All-Age School and played for the Governor’s Harbour Hustlers, started as an umpire in 2003 under the late Arthur ‘Old Art’ Thompson. Spence went on to attain a level three certification along with Michael Hanna in the World Baseball/Softball Confederation, just one level below that of Sears, who is at level four.

The highest level is five, which is an instructor.

“He was a first-class gentleman, who loved sports and softball in particular,” Sears said. “He loved his family dearly. Anytime he travelled to the round robin, he brought his son with him. He was a first class family man, who also loved God, not necessarily in that order. He will be missed.

“I spoke with him in November and he said he was coming along very well. He had just come back from the United States where he was getting his heart checked out. When he came back home, he said everything was going well. Low and behold, January came and I got the news. That was a shocker.”

Sears said once the funeral is finalised, he will definitely be making the trip to pay his last respects.

Having formed a relationship with Spence after they made a national team trip in Colombia, umpire Martin ‘Pork’ Burrows said they travelled together to officiate at softball games for the BSF in Ababo when the sport was at its highest level.

“When we travelled on the national team, I was a coach and Brent was an umpire,” Burrows said. “I was very impressed. We came back and we had a couple of trips to Abaco for about two to three years. We became very close. He was a very nice person. He loved his family, especially his son.”

“After the game, Brent went home. He never went out like me and Charles Fisher. When I came home, Brent had already washed my uniform and had it pressed and ready for me to wear. That was the type of person he was.”

During one of their trips, Burrows said Spence made him ride out the whole island of Abaco to make sure his son got to take in all of the sights on the island.”

Spence, according to Burrows, was the life of the party. He didn’t indulge in anything more than a soft drink, but Burrows said Spence made a lot of funny comments to keep everybody entertained.

“I know one time I went to Freeport and he was coaching his son’s team and I told him I needed to go somewhere when he finished,” Burrows pointed out.

“He threw me his car keys and told me to drive. When he came to Nassau, whenever he needed to go somewhere, I passed him my keys and told him to go.”

Immediate past BSF president Burkett Dorsett called Spence an “excellent umpire,” who went on to advance himself in the sport at the international level.

“He was a very nice person on the whole,” Dorsett said.

“I know he was sick and had gotten better, but I guess the good Lord had better plans for him.”

Dorsett offered his condolences on behalf of his wife and family and the World Baseball/Softball Confederation and the English Caribbean Softball Confederation.

BSF president Ted Miller said Spence was one of the top umpires in the sport and carried out his responsibility in the Northern Bahamas with dignity.

“We didn’t have any problems with him during our time in administration,” Miller said. “He was a quiet fellow, always willing to help. He helped Thomas Sears with training and we could count on him when we had our national events.”

On the field, Miller said he watched as Spence controlled the game whenever he officiated.

“He was a very nice person. Everybody could get along with him,” Miller said. “He did a good service for the federation. I watched him as he progressed up the ranks to an international certified umpire and he did many international trips for us as an umpire.”

From her vantage point as the chief statistician. Rozina Taylor said Spence was a very competent umpire and it was a delight to watch him perform on and off the field.

“If there’s one thing I could say about him, it’s that he was always impartial when he was calling a game,” Taylor said. “He was never seen pulling for anybody. You could rely on him whether it’s in the regular tournament, a playoff game or the championship.

“There are some umpires who would be intimidated calling a game, but he was never that. He will definitely be missed because of the way he handled himself.”

The Tribune Sports Department joins the BSF and its members, especially those in the Northern Bahamas, in expressing our condolences to Spence’s family.

May his soul rest in peace.