Umpire’s memory lives on in tourney

Somewhere this weekend, John Kingsley Downs was smiling—and probably telling one more batter the pitch was “on the corner.”
The Rainy River District was shaken by the untimely passing of Downs, who died at age 61 in a one-vehicle accident on Canada Day as the Pinewood resident was heading back from a fast-pitch tournament in Stratton.
To those in softball and fastball circles, it meant the loss of a man who made his indelible mark as an umpire in the district for more than 20 years.
To his family, it meant saying goodbye to not only a father and husband, but to someone whose concern for others on and off the ball diamond was well-known to all who encountered him.
“He gave without boundaries,” said son, Scott Downs, shortly after reading a speech with his mother, Maureen, and his sister, Stacey, by his side Saturday afternoon in Devlin as part of a special ceremony during what will be known from now on as the Kingsley Downs Memorial Tournament.
“We thought that was something he had that was especially reserved for (his family). But with what has happened with the tournament being renamed for him, it’s obviously something he shared with everybody.
“He gave because he wanted to see people smile.”
A moment of silence was held during Saturday’s ceremony to give those in attendance the chance to reflect on the life of a man whose impact on the area was so far-reaching, more than 500 people attended his funeral the previous week.
“If he was sitting and talking with you, it didn’t matter how many other people were around, you were the most important person to him at that time,” said Scott. “He made you feel special.”
Stacey added that Kingsley was the rare person who never professed ill will towards anyone, and that having her father’s name live on in Devlin’s most renowned slo-pitch tournament of the year is a truly special honour.
“(Because of his umpiring) he spent a lot of time away from us,” said Stacey. “I’m glad to know all these people appreciate the effort he put in.”
There was certainly no questioning the passion for the game of baseball that Kingsley possessed. His wife, Maureen, recalled with a chuckle hearing the detailed play-by-play from every one of her husband’s games upon his return home from the diamond.
She added the overwhelming support of people from both within and outside the area has been vital to mending the family’s emotional wounds.
“Kingsley gave a lot, but look what we’ve got back from the people—it’s been tenfold,” said Maureen. “This is what has got us through.
“He’d be bursting with pride if he could see this today. You can’t even put it into words.”
Gus Lindberg, who teamed with Downs to oversee countless games during their 23-year stretch together on ballfields across the district, had no problem speaking of the respect he held for his umpiring partner.
“He was one of the friendliest and honest people I’ve ever known in my lifetime,” praised Lindberg. “He never discriminated against anyone on the field.
“One time he asked me why I umpired, and I thought about it and said I guess it was because I loved the sport. He told me he did it because he just wanted to see people have fun.”
His admiration for Kingsley was spelled out on Lindberg’s shirt this weekend, with the statement “King—My Friend, My Partner, On the Corner” sewn on the left front chest area.
“‘On the corner’ was one of his favourite sayings when he was working behind the plate,” said Lindberg with a bittersweet tinge in his voice. “He also liked on out calls to just point and say, ‘gotcha’.
“It’s very difficult not having him here today. But when (tournament organizer) Rhonda Hyatt called me and told me about renaming the tournament, I was ecstatic. It was heartwarming.”
It seemed like everyone at this weekend’s tournament had their own stories to share about their experiences with the fun-loving umpire.
“I remember him looking at me once with a big smile on his face and saying, ‘LaFleur, we’ve played three innings and you’ve already made five errors,’” laughed Mark LaFleur. “But he was probably one of the fairest umpires I’ve ever played for.”
Kevin Watts related how after making one spectacular defensive play, Kingsley told him it was probably one of the best catches he had ever seen.
“He probably told that to everyone, but it was nice to hear it from him, anyway,” said Watts. “It was always a good time when Kingsley was umpiring.”
Scott Downs summarized Kingsley’s effect on those around him with one particular example of kindness.
“Once, he took aside Ryan Flamand, this 12 or 13-year-old boy who was having a tough game that day,” recounted Scott. “Ryan was ready to throw in the towel on the sport, and Dad gave him a pep talk.
“Later on, we received a letter that Ryan’s dad Harvey wrote, saying from that conversation, Ryan decided to stick it out in the sport. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when we read that. (Kingsley) will always hold a warm spot in our hearts.”