By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
This year, International Association of Approved Basketball Officials of board #150 have been wearing special black wristbands throughout the basketball season.
The wristband simply has the name Pete written in white.
That name is well-known in the refereeing community for Pete Porter, a 35-year veteran, who was hospitalized with an unknown virus in November 2011 and died unexpectedly on Dec. 14.
Porter had planned on officiating last winter, as he had attended the preseason refresher class and the Maine Principals’ Association clinic conducted by Maine Basketball Commissioner Peter Webb.
MISSED — Pete Porter, a veteran referee with IAABO #150, is missed by family and fellow referees. This year, referees on the local board wore wristbands in memory of Porter.
“He was looking forward to another season,” said son Joe Porter, also an IABBO official. “He enjoyed seeing all of the fellow referees to visit and catch up with friends he had not seen since the prior basketball season.”
Porter’s unexpected death was sudden and devastating not only to family and friends, but to his colleagues at Katahdin Trust Bank in Island Falls, but also the refereeing community.
“The loss of Peter has left Board 150 with a void of not only a top official, but a tremendous person,” said Marty Bouchard, principal at SAD 29 and veteran official.
“I had the opportunity to officiate numerous games with Pete,” he added. “The entire Northern Maine board was so shocked and saddened by his sudden passing of Pete.”
At one of the IABBO meetings in January, it was suggested that the board honor Porter by wearing a wristband for the 2012-13 season. The board received permission from Webb to do so. Each referee this year has worn a wristband to honor a fallen friend and “teammate.”
“I believe this was an unprecedented tribute by any official board in Maine,” said Joe.
A referee’s job is never an easy one. But, Porter always had a smile on his face. He loved what he was doing.
“For him and most all officials, being an official was about being a part of the game of basketball,” Joe said. “The game is about the kids and the schools.”
When a game is refereed well, officals don’t become part of end result.
“As officials, we do our job, when we officiate the game and when the game is over, nobody knows who officiated,” said Joe.
That’s how Porter — who was very quiet, kind and generous — wanted it to be.
“Ninety-nine percent of the officials, officiate for the love of the game,” explained Joe. “We do not officiate for the money, or the glory. On any given night during the basketball season, we jump in a vehicle and drive on average of 30 minutes to an hour, referee a game, and then drive home, getting home between 10-11 p.m. We have officials that on Saturdays will referee two games in two different locations throughout the County, just to cover all of the games being played.”
Commitment and dedication sum up a referee’s character.
“For someone to officiate for 35 years, requires a special dedication to the game. My father loved to be a part of the game and especially enjoyed the fellowship he had with the other officials. Through the years, he worked with many officials and enjoyed talking and swapping stories about great games throughout the County, hunting and fishing stories, or talking about work or family.”
Joe noted his father worked with a proud tradition of officials on the IAABO #150 board — who he considered a friend — such as Mike Cote, Harry Orser, Roger Shaw, Gerry Adams, John Plourde, Fred Boyd, Lenny McHatten, Steve Whited, Steve Fitzpatrick, Marty Bouchard, Rob Kinens, Melvin Duff, Bob Buckley, David Whitaker, Joe Clukey — as well as many others.
IN HONOR — Each referee on the IABBO #150 has worn a wristband to honor Pete Porter a fallen friend and “teammate.”
“Gentle, kind and fair are all words I would use to describe Pete,” said Bouchard. “He loved officiating and for about three decades, he served the board and area youth. Each night when I arrived at the officials changing room, I knew what to expect. Pete would greet me with a hand shake, a smile and a genuine exchange of sincerity. He knew the rules exceptionally well and numerous fellow officials would look for his direction and opinion often.”
As Joe grew up playing sports at Southern Aroostook Community School, his father had many stories to share with his family. One of Joe’s favorite tales was set in the mid-1980s.
“Back then, officials were selected for games by the coaches,” Joe said. “All of the officials that were available would be listed and they would schedule all of the games each day and then start over and do the next day. There was a big game that year between Van Buren with Matt Rossignol and Southern Aroostook.
“Southern Aroostook either won the Class D state championship game that year or next, but they were coached by Jesse Bedwell,” recalled Joe. “Neither Jesse nor the Van Buren coach could agree on officials. The Van Buren coach picked an official from the [St. John] Valley, and Jesse chose my father as the other official being the ‘hometown official’.”
The game started and early in the contest, Bedwell’s son, Jay, cleared out a defender with his elbow in the post. Porter called a player-control foul.
“While Dad was reporting the foul, Jesse was screaming at him that he was his official and he needed to give him the ‘hometown’ calls. Jesse told him that he would never pick him for another game again,” recounted Joe. “My father told him that was fine. He was going to officiate the game and not to expect any “hometown” calls. Van Buren won at the buzzer, with an 18-foot jump shot from Rossignol. Dad said it was one of the best games he ever officiated.”
Anyone who knew Porter could count on an impartial perspective and a genuine sense of caring. The last game Porter officiated was with Joe Clukey and his son.
“Neither team was having a good season record-wise,” Joe noted.
But, he and his father rode together to the game in Limestone. Joe remembered his father was running a bit late from his job at the bank.
“We drove up to Limestone a little faster than we should have and there was some snow, so the roads were a little greasy,” Joe said. “ I commented to him on the way up how only someone as crazy as us, would bust our tail in the snow for a basketball game. He just smiled and said that he was glad he was working with Joe and I, and was looking forward to the game.”
On the ride to Limestone, Joe and his father talked about the grandchildren, work, recent games and the upcoming basketball tournament.
“We officiated the game,” said Joe. “Nothing out of the ordinary happened. It was just a high school basketball game.”
Before heading home, Joe and his father visited a few minutes with Clukey.
“We drove home,” said Joe. “No one else would remember that we officiated that game. That is just the way my Dad wanted it.”
So, the officials’ wristbands honor Porter, but they are also appreciated by his family. Porter dedicated many years to being an official and his family is pleased that Board #150 chose to remember him in this way.
“He would not want the attention, but I would tell him that they are honoring his friendship to all of us, that he worked with,” said Joe. “My family and I have received a lot of support throughout the year from past and present officials of Board #150 and it reminds me why I continue to officiate. I hope that I can someday be half of the official and person that my father was.”
