Local cricket umpires are mourning the death of one of their former colleagues, Dennis Raynor, who died on New Year’s Day at the age of 61.

Raynor, who last officiated around 2001, was one of the youngest umpires when he took up officiating in 1979 and went on to become one of the Island’s top umpires, doing a number of Cup Matches and county games.

Such was his contribution to the game for over 30 years, first as a wicketkeeper-batsman for Western Stars and then after becoming an umpire in his late twenties, that former colleague Randy Butler put his name forward for a Sports Citation in the annual Government Sports Awards.

“I was away and got back on Thursday and there was a message on my phone from his long-time friend Ursula [Dunlop] who was calling all the umpires and letting them know he passed,” said Butler who also played with Raynor at Stars.

“She told me he had passed, that she rushed him to the hospital that morning. It is a surprise to everyone. I spoke to Dennis the Tuesday before I left the Island and told him I was writing to Youth and Sport for a Sports Citation for him.

“He had put in something like 32 years into Bermuda cricket, having played for Western Stars in the early days. Somewhere around 2001 he started to ease back but I know he did an Eastern Counties game in 2000.

“That was around the time that George Trott and Luther Wilkin both dropped out, two of the older guys who Dennis came up with. After Dennis came George Francis, Wilbur Pitcher and me.”

Butler officiated in the 1996 Cup Match at Somerset with Raynor, the year Somerset reclaimed the cup.

“I remember I ran off the field at the end and somebody struck Dennis, maybe a victory celebration strike, and when he came in the dressing room he said somebody hit him. One of the medics attended to his arm, but he didn’t make a fuss. I remember he did his first Cup Match in 1986 with George Trott.”

Raynor went on to serve as president of the Bermuda Cricket Umpires Association, serving on the management committee and also assistant lecturer and on the training and exam committee before becoming president in 1995, a post he held for four years. He replaced Butler who served as president from 1986 to 1995.

“He was very steady as an umpire and knew the laws and you couldn’t pull anything on him in a meeting,” Butler said. “He did most of the international games when Test sides came here following their tour to the Caribbean. He and George Trott were the main umpires. He did that three-day match up at Somerset between Bermuda and Antigua when Vivian Richards came here.”

According to Butler, Raynor also served as a delegate on two occasions to the West Indies Cricket Umpires Association convention, in 1987 with Luther Wi lkin and in 1995 in St Vincent when Butler accompanied him. His late father Ashton also served for a time as an umpire, Butler remembers.

Wally Manders, the president of the Bermuda Cricket Umpires Association, said: “He was definitely one of our top umpires and definitely one of the youngest to obtain the West Indies badge. He was pretty articulate when it came to the laws.

“I pass on my condolences to his family, he’s definitely going to be a miss to the association for his knowledge of the law. He was a top-quality umpire.”