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,\ \,\ Bill Stewart can remember his grandpa's stories. Bill Chip McDonald, the son of Paul's and Bill ilI's sister, heard them time and again.Stories of big games,great Patricia Anne, is the fifth officiating Stewart to skate at athletes,magical stadiums. Sports are a big part of the the Boston Garden. He is an NCAA Division I hockey family tradition. But u'hile lots of families hand down linesman and a Division II and III referee in the East stories of legendarv athletic events witnessed, the Coast Athletic Conference- when he's not selling Stewart familv hands down stories of participation, concrete for the Boston Sand & Gravel Company. beginning with Grandpa Stewart, "BillSr.," who was a (NHL) referee and a National BILL SR.: THE GRANDFATHER. With a resume League (N.L.) umpire. spanning two centuries and four generations, the Back when Bill Sr.,William joseph Stewart, made Sier,r'arts'sporting history owes much to Bill Sr. his debut as the first American-born NHL referee, $ 61 He was the hard-nosed product of Fitchburg, just fans behind goals were protected by wire mesh and W Mass., a tough mill town outside the Maroons skated against the New York V Boston. Born to a silversmith in 1895,Bill Americans. Over half a century later, his grandson I Sr. had a multifaceted athletic career Paul is the lone man among the League's top arbiters . u'hich included a stint as a pitcher with who has worn both a player's sweater and the referee's the infamous1979 Chicaeo White Sox. distinctive orange armbands. His services, according to Bill III, grossed The acorns off Bill Sr.'s family tree haven't fallen far 5650 from the team's tight-fisted owner/ from their roots. Bill jr. called college football and ice Charles Comiskev.Stewart was hockey games (7948-74),andhe umpired baseball fro$i' dispatched to the minor leagues 1948until his 1987death from congestive heart failure. (Louisville) in mid-season, where he was William Joseph Stewart III describes himself as "a 13-11with a2.77ERA;he neverdid tossa victim of birth. I was the first-born son of the only son pitch in "the show," yet his demotion proved lucky. of Bill StewartSr.," he explains. "When I was born, the He was untainted by baseball's worst scandal, when doctor ran to a phone to call my grandfather to tell him eight of the so-called "Black Sox" allegedly conspired he had a grandson. I was 'William the Third,' to throw the World Series to Cincinnati. automatically. I've always been called 'Three'or Hopes of a return to play big league baseball ended 'Third."' when, while working as a census taker, he slipped off Bill ilI, Paul's older brother, is an NCAA Division I- of a porch and shattered his arm. Stewart bounced AA college football official rt'hen he's not skating at the around the minors before hanging up his cleats after NCAA Division I ice hocker-level. His "dav job" is as a the summer of 1.928. probation officer i.r'orkingon Boston'sstreet gang r.rnit. Between the playing seasons,Bill Sr. worked for

Here are brief bios of Bill Sr.and his officiatingdescendants. \f illiam loseph Stewart ltl, 45, Dedham, Mass.Crandson. Informationincludes each survivingperson's age, hometonn {:<:i':.t chiei probation officer, Dorchester District Court. relationshipto Bill Stewart Sr., occupation and ofiiciatinq Fo'^rer hrqh school and college hockey cnach. Umpired (1 (1 background. ba.ehall' l 9:4-BB),football 974-present)and hockey 976- William foseph Stewart Sr. (1895-1964). Multi-sport coach present).\\rorked NCAA Division lll football playoff games in and official. Coached severalprep and college [66[s1'z1s;mr' 1986, BB and 91 ; 1987 NCAA Division lll hockey also coachedthe 1937-38 Chicaso Blackhawksto the Stanlev championshipgame and a quarter-finalplayoff game during Cup, indicative of the National Hockey League (\HL the 1994 NCAA Division I hockeytournament. championship. He worked 12 years as an NHL referee, Paul Gerard Stewart, 40, Boston.Crandson. NHL referee includingthe first hockey game played in the BostonCarden. tNo. 22); worked his first NHL game Mar.27, 1987, in Boston, and 22 yearsas a major leaguebaseball umpire (N.1. 1933- afterworking four seasonsin hockey'sminor leagues;now has 54), including four All-Stargames and five World Series.Also rlorked 29 NHL playoff games. Former high school hockey played professionalbaseball; spent the first half of the 19.19 coach; played professionalhockey in the WHL and NHL. seasonwith the ChicagoWhite Sox,but saw little game action. Chip McDonald, 27, Roslindale,Mass. Creat-grandson. Wilf iam foseph Stewart lr. (1919-1987\.Son. High school Salesman,Boston Sand & Cravel Company. High school and i teacher, coach and athletic director. He officiated amatetlr college hockey official; earlier this year he worked the final I sportsincluding the top levelsof college hockey,football and prep hockey game played in the Boston Carden. College I baseball (1954 NCAA lce Hockey playolfs, 1971 NCAA assignments are primarily in the East Coast Athletic Division I CollegeBaseball World Series). Conference, where he normally works as a Iinesman in Division I gamesand as refereein Division ll and lll games.

: 3O Rerenrc September1995

I alr,vavsso tough. A focused officiai and George Brown (the father of Boston Celtic founder rvasn't clinician, he'd play to a standing room Walt&) as the assistant general manager of the Bosion accornplished each winter in Boston, where fellow umpires Arena. Bill's hockey officiating started in that building crowd to hear Bill Sr.'s updated analysis of the as a last-minute replacement for a scheduled referee' were anxious rule. Soon he was working the best college and semipro balk realize that in 1938,when Cincinnati's matches in the area, eventually moving to the top of Few people Vander Meer claimed a place in baseball the sport, the NHL. Johnny pitching back-to-back no-hit games, Bill Sr' Even as his hockey officiating career br"riit history by umpire fot both games.The second game momentum, Bill Sr. coached, once leading three was the plate original, the first night game played in hockey teams (Radcliffe College \\'omel1, \lilton *us uttoih"t Field. The teams used yellow for Academy boys and MIT men) sin'rultaneouslv He Ebbets visibility; one is carefully secured in Bill III's even coached the Chicago Blackhan'ks dr'rring a short better break in his 12-seasonNHL officiating stint Tl-rat trophy case. happened during the1937-38 season and continued BILL THE FATHER. William Joseph Stewart Jr', until January 7939. JR.: III's dad, was born two days after the 1919 The'Hawks job came about in part due to team Bill World Seriesended. Growing up Bill jr' owner Major Mclaughlin's desire to hire Americans' .^ plaved both football and baseball' He spent A second factor: Mclaughlin's admiration of Stewart's k summers either playing ball or traveling fortitude when the ref was called on the carpet for a EP Y with his dad. "He used to meet mY controversial call by then-NHL president Frank grandfather on the road," Bill III says, Calder. Grumbled Stewart, "If Mr. Calder wants my perhaps explaining both why Bill Sr.'s job he can have it, but I made the decision and the career became a familY and decision stands!" Passion how Bill became the key figure in Bill Stewart Sr.'s 1938 'Hawks squad won the Jr. establishing the tradition' "He'd meet second of three Stanley Cups in that franchise's at the end of the hockev season and history despite finishing the regular season with an my grandfather tire baseball bag. He traveled r'r'ith his father, undisiinguished 14-25-9record. Yet in the finals, when gii'e nim trairrs,during vacations'" It's easy to imagine Stewart'J skaters faced the , on the u'orship the boy felt for his umpire-dad, Chicago won the championship series three games to the hero n'ith the opportunity to learn about umpiring' one. Two days later Bili Sr. rvas umpiring a \\'hite Sor- along Cubs exhibition baseball game (his 21 )'ears of professional umpiring included 21 seaso_nsin the i.t.t-.). Vla*ay through the following NHL season the . Blackhawks '?eleased" the coach and, at the start o*f the 1939-40season, Bill Sr. reclaimed his whistle' According to Bill [I, several years before Bill Sr' coached the Blackhawks, he was responsible for the only forfeited game in NHL history. "He made a call and ('Hawks coach) called him over to the bench to argue," explained Bill III' "Words were exchanged and Gorman sucker-punched him' My grandfither chased him into the east lobby' Afterward, f,e had (Boston's) Cooney Weiland shoot the puck into the empty net for a 1-0 win." Gorman may have been lucky the ref was running on skates. Ln7909, Bill Sr. won two gold medals in the Greater Boston track meet, one for running the 220 in 24 seconds flat. Years later, in 1936,Stewart \\'as a third-year N.L. umpire. An irate fan in St' Louis one afternoon, bent on lumped out of the grandstand jaw fan swung, missed, and tnriittg Stewart's The From1964, Bill Jr. whistles for an end to theGhaos duting a highschool woke up 10 minutes later in the Cardinal dressing contest,one of manygames he worked at the Boston Galden' ,oorn - victim of a Stewart uppercut. But Bill Sr' (photo: Bo$on Ahbe/Chailes CarcY)

September1995 Rerenee31

J Thirty years after that first trip to a foo-tball game/ less than a year after Bill Jr.'s death, Bill IIi's first TheStewart 'Know' TheorY Division I college football assignment was on that emotional Handed down through four generations, each same field in Oiono, Maine. "It was an on that field," Bill III admits' "I Stewart understands this simple approach to moment, standing knort' he'd of been proud.... It gave me a feeling of officiating: "Know the rules; know the players; accomplishment. I had made it to where he had the game' There will be know the coaches;know been." referee"' suited to his no doubt that you are a good Bill Jr.'s temperament was ideally prirnaiv line of work, teaching high school and with a ice coaching. Relates Bill III: "My father ruled Following World War II, Bill Jr' coached football' hand. He had a knack for saying at Boston English High School' tirunderlng, velvet hockey andlaseball to quell 1954 sornething"in the right way at the right time His oificiating career highlights include the almost anv disturbance." NCAA hocke"yplayoffs and ihe 1971 College Baseball three sports and officiating all featured future big leaguers Betrreen coaching World Series,which for his a Bill did not have much time at home Thurman Munson and Fred Lynn' Bill Jr' also was vear, Jr. in some ways as hls own which provided another familr'. He compensated, college football official, the fathei had. Each n'eekend the bovs would jump in opportunity to spend time with his sons' Ther"d drive, often six hours or more' to ^ l'I to his games when I was four or.', car u'ith Dad. started going they'd mp that-dar"s go*". BiU Jr. would officiate, then five years otA," gilt III recalls' "My first trip with clrirle homJ. Those long days together forged a lifelong d.ad was in 1958,to a football game at the University bond. "Among the things he taught us was something of Maine in Orono." The young boy started asking Bill III explains' "We always go he was "f:e or six' 'Why did his dad taughihim," about officiating when the out the fron-t door." Translation: No matter how you call this?' Or, 'Why no flag for that?'He'd always be proud of yourself and your job' It's see the play again,.in your game has gone, Lxplain and you could takes was X "toot'uti itt the eye" attitude that at times mind,lust frbm his description of everything that He saw so much and I understood so courage. happening' out of the asking about his "M"y grandfather walked *,l.h, jusi from watching and "The or-," r,igf,t, my father with him," relates Bill III' games." a game' He gave my " started officiating' Bill Jr' fans w-ereafter him following Lut"r, as Bill III and Paui him' father his hockey bag and tucked my dad behind was their sounclingboart'l Rlrles' mechauics' rvalked out the front door of the Forum' my qr-restiorrthel' t'ifere'1 ]ra'-1 Then tl"rev philosophy - an)' 'ru (hockey skate)in Da'l rit'rk gran.lfatirern-ith a Nestor Johnson fUrriont,orrra" for an ansn-er'Bl rr-atching Thev rvalket'lright through the crowd'" him, the third geueratitrn Ste\\-arts e.rchhan.l. and listening to n'orking a his father On rare tr.casioll: rr-henBill Jr' rvasn't understood"why their father did things as game, his solrsalrr-avs knerr- rr-herehe rvas: watching had taught Years earlier. ille^ rto.k. He'd take a seatin the far reachesof whatever grandstand there might be; no-matter the a distance, th" ,ottt could always find Dad' After "You'd see tough call or a difficult game, they'd-look' "You him"and his head would nod," Bill III explained' knew you'd done a good job'"

THIRD' FOURTH GENERATIONS' The current Stewart adult generation is comprised of siblings (40), III (45),and Patricia Anne Jimmy (age37\,Paul Bill is the isO), *no!" son Chip McDonald is 26' Jimmy a anomaly, a non-offiiiating Stewart male' "I'm in different kind of refereeing business," Jimmy explains' His job: A federal Drug Enforcement Administration in the agent assig.,edto a multi-jurisdictionaltask force Chicago aiea, covering O'Hare and Midway airports shotof liveStewafts togethel, this time lor 1983ptep I-*t t tttt and the Amtrak railwaY sYstem' grt" it* ltlt ChipMc0onald caught for fhe GrotonSciool; Jimmy coaching ini iilr rll umpired;bill Jr.coached Boston English {his 400th victory);and Paul tounded out the crew'

92 REFEREESeptember 1995 uP to." to mention that he did "'ilaliirrtrclive sumsup his Jimmy Stewart is quick BRAvADo'Paul stewart y"ut" wanted on talent' With umpire for a couple of ll:9"U career as long on desire' short "."d..tYtInstead' he athletic nt"ii",tV ft.u loUin pro baseball' iong'"ontv itigtrttv planted n::I:l'^ll"t o*,t lu* dream' ire tJuowingself-scouting " report: t*H"t "'lfo""*"nt maior drug busts' ""tt""J'itrtU""r, involved in several "'ri"t"a"Skating, okaY; shooting, okaY; 165pounds of heroine r :-^ including one that confiscated stickhandling,none; passing' l"t Pitit:" $1'8billionj and was reenacted ne inherited Bill Sr''s i"ra*"rJlttreet value' ,it*,-Uuttti"g liiile." nuf Cops.Jimmyconfided of ""tu on the televisionprogiu* Top ftuvado and he loved hockey' they're more envious of his officiating family";I thini< His biief cups of coffeein the majors old Wolld mY iob than I am of theirs'" included two seasonsin the ^^'' begins tlut!1s hh tor 'iitiltfs officiating resume Hockey Associationand appearing in the.'60s'.asa ;;;;" the mid-1-970s,though in 21 NHL gam:s during the with his Qrr"U". ;;;he umPired'and refereed season'As a defensemanne ";;h:;i; a high 7g7g-80 i%,'al'eudv establishedas spendngTl minutes netted but two NHL goalswhile hockey coach,he began-officiating Li in the PenaltYbox' ""f football and hockey as the "' a childhood in pt"p U"t"Uuli otri""i"'reach his goals'Paul recalls cycled' There have been NCAA the,g,ame'I decided I"uJo"t which he felt "a d"ef iassion for playoff assignments'but lot of guys b*"i"" iII football what was iinportant.to,*:-I11",," has worked early-on his real flair is on the ice' He l'd go find.somerce' his post- *o,ttd" -it',uia-nosed go to a movie, ."ff"ge hockey since 1984and knew he was *^;tt player' Siewart -that inciude the 1987NCAA than I was at hockey'" season-piuiriottassignments "better at basketbaii'andfootball Ill" championship BostonBruins and by his r Inspired by his hometown and the 1994NCAA l)lvlslon to meet the tournament i;;:;;;hJs"^e, he was determined told me' 'You can't o,iar-t"rfinatcontestbetweenBostonUniversity .f,Jf".rg" S"aysStewart' "Everyone enemiesmore and Wisconsin' t"n"t"i believedthem' I love mv he carries in his bag Jo ii.' For each contest in each sport' a small contalner his father's whistles and has "lf that bor i".ludes Dad's indicator' the d'oor"' ,i-r"i be "WealwaYs go out from "' "ft" offers Bill III' "there n'ould """f;;t,alk," eYe"attitude some great stories " It's a 'ilooi 'ernin the assignment He"sayshis most memorabie courAge' *h"n' as a teenager'he joined that at timestukes a football game -i;li"i;;.t"e"f",irtua and an inmate in calling Prison Colony' me on' I i"""f"*g the Norfolk Men's mv friendsbecause my enemiesspur to prisons at night-an& than RecallsBill III: "Dad would' go in which overcomingobstacles football referees' ;'';#; il;ilJ"ld teachthem to be baseballuripireJand challengeswas the.norm' I wasraised of hot dogs and i"Jl.J"pat"g pay for that gamewas u pt1t" yo'l'tu" do it if you have.thetalent My from that with the idea that in the prison cafeteria'^WhatI learned Heck' you can do it even if you beans food and are willing to work' *u"i'o go to prisonbecause the determinedthan was that I didn't ;;;';;;" the"talent'I was moie movie)'" wasn'tthat good'" A;;t i h" title characterin a 1993 " is a prerequisitein B-ilI[I's dual Ev-eryteam had e"i"f tt"ia-nosed It was an era of "tough guy" hockey' his police dutieshe notes:"I know that if I was to fin"a of"*o.k. Of an "enforcer" on its tot["t' "I knew 'no}; pretty good'- to get out had to altr"t o,t ih" street goal (of reachingth: NHL) that,I being tougJris as close breaker of some"rtbad situations.,,In faci, ".if""" ".ry saysPaul' Tle detour from law get' Bill III recalls ;;;,h" ;;y," to a family heirloom as the Stewarts U"guttafter playing in the 1982-83 umpired a New York- i"i* the time that his grandfather ""f".J". seasonfor the CapeCod Buccaneers' and Elmira' EasternLeague ;ili;"g"" gu'i" between Johnstown wrestling promoter Vince^McMahon' gamehe was r*""a Uy n"otea ;H;;"t X uro"ua-"n"stedman' In that "clianceto make a few extra He got Paul sa# phying as a He{ought Dennis Yarmouth chargedby six guys' ill :ii-:f^'em' bucks" while that winter coaching Lea[ue later'" f,l, ,?ut, in tne iltalional !yo..y:"kt School' "^ Bill IIL."When.weput on Hieh"'i;;;j.';t; with S"y;ih" obviouslyproud in the EasternLeague' following in the lvngnlmous "I that dtact and white sitirt, we're kept a cleansiate' ExplainsPaul' We havea lot to firti.,.tlfr, siewart iooi*"pt of two greatsports officials'

September1995 REFEBEE33 couldn't fight (because)all of my high school kids were who can skate launches a firm check on a rival who isn't watching me." an accomplished skater. "There are differencesin what After that seasonStewart phoned NHL vice- you can let go and not let go," Chip notes. "You've got president of officiating Ian "Scotty" Morrison to sav he to call things a lot tighter at the l-righschool level." intended to become a referee.That caught Morrison by Chip's biggesi thrill has been an assignment that surprise. "He was," understates Stewart, "incredulous." helped him add a chapter of his own to the Stewart Morrison suggestedthat Paul enroll in NHL referee family legend. His great-grandfather (Bill Bruce Hood's officiating school in Milton, Ont. The blue Sr.) was the first man to referee a hockey collar ethic that helped Stewart reach the NHL as a game at the Boston Garden; Chip worked player served him well in a striped shirt. Paul still uses the last scholastichockey contest in the the same skatesas when he carried a stick, a fact Garden, the 1995Massachusetts prompting some of the sharper tongues in the NHL to Division 1-A title game in which note that he didn't exactly wear out his skatesduring Catholic Memorial High School edged his bench-warming days. Boston College High,2-7. "It was up Despite the occasional laughs, Sten'art takes his and down the ice all night and the duties seriously. He admits to "getting into occasional kids played hard," he says. "It was a theological disputes with my peers. I see things that I pleasure to do that game. And it was can't justify as being a penalty even though, according an honor for me to be the fourth generation of my to the black and white, they are a penalty. My standard family to skate on that ice. It was a privilege, but I also was given to me by (Hall of Fame referee)Frank |* feel I earned my way out there too." Udvari. If it had been done to me and I would have Over the decadesthere have been any number of been pissed, it's a penalty. If it had been done to me lmportant thoughts handed down from Stewart to and I wouldn't have been Stewart, but when Paul i,..,, 11 . "s " " too concerned, I let it go. I K ,_r,We-ve ,i".. never seen otficratmgrqr . . tries to sum up all of it he have a senseof justice arrives at a simple regarding what is fair and as a job. It's something statement: "We've never what's not. I think the seen officiating as a job. players understand that. I we love to do." It's something we love to rely on my sensationoi do." feel. I do it a lot like the Bill III recalls his World War I fh'ers: br the seatrrf mr-paut-s." father's two favorite bits of advice, also quite simple: With NHL assistantdirector eritrffrcia:irrS Jt-.hrr \\brk l-rard.If vou do, they can't complain. And always McCauley as Paul's unofficial "mentor," he rr'..rke.lhis keep.11'1111 head up. Don't ever drop your head,because way up the minor leagueladder. "He rr-asas iathe:-.:-

34 RrreaeeSeptember 1995