The 2020 WIAA Annual Honorary Hockey Official was presented to James E. Brown at the state high school hockey tournament in March.
Unfortunately, James passed away in November 2019, so the award was given posthumously to his wife Andrea and his children.
This award is presented each year to an official who has displayed dedication to WIAA ice hockey, excellence in officiating and for serving as a guardian of the rules of ice hockey to promote safety, sportsmanship, and fair play.
James is survived by his wife Andrea and sons Jim and Dan, and daughter Carol Lee.
James E. Brown obituary
Scott Swid presented Dan Brown with the award in the Alliant Energy Center.
WIAA members Tom Shafranski, Deb Lepak, and Joan Gralla selected Brown as the 2020 winner. Swid, Dave King, Ryan Reischel, and Jeff Hanzlik were senior officials on the electing committee.
Son Jim Brown remembers:
The picture of us reffing together was a girls game in Rapids with my son: three generations! He really enjoyed reffing with my kids and my Cousin Steve’s kids too.
He was a tremendous mentor to many young officials, his last game reffing was when he was 75 and it was a squirt C game I was coaching and my youngest was playing.
Please join us in congratulating the Brown family!
Three reffing generations; Jim, Zach, James
