Joe Williford

Elected : USSSA New York Hall Of Fame in 2012
Inducted : March 2013 , Rochester, NY

Joe is a native of Schroon Lake, New York nestled in the Adirondack Mountains.  He had an early introduction to umpiring because of his father Tom Williford, a long-time Adirondack umpiring legend. Joe spent years tagging along watching and learning from his father. After leaving the Navy in 1985, Joe settled in the Rochester area and in 1987, started umpiring slow pitch softball. He has worked for both ASA and USSSA. Since then he has umpired youth leagues up to World Tournament play, including the Men’s 'B', 'C', 'D' and 'E' divisions, and Women’s 'B' and 'C'. Along with his friends and fellow umpires has had the opportunity to travel all over the Eastern United States to umpire as well as international tournaments in Canada.

Joe is a founding member of the Sports Officials of the Rochester Area and has served on the board as an at-large member for many years. Joe has had many great experiences and worked with people who he considers life-long and close friends. “I am truly grateful to USSSA and SORA for the opportunity to travel and grow as an umpire, and extremely humbled by this induction.”

Joe has been married to his beautiful wife Sharon since 2006. Their combined family contains his 2 sons, David and Keith, and Sharon’s 3 children, Tim, Michele and Lisa. Joe considers 2012 to have been a great year, not only elected to this austere Hall of Fame, but he was also promoted to Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy Reserve