***UPDATE ***

Thanks to the incredible support of so many of you, the memorial honoring Ray Kietrys at Tannery Field is officially complete. We are deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to making this tribute possible. Please see the update below for photos of the completed memorial, as well as the dedication ceremony. Thank you so much, everyone!

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Ray Kietrys was the “house umpire” for the Hackettstown Men’s Softball League, umpiring 3 games per night, 5 nights per week at the Tannery Field for more than 20 years. He was known not only for his trained eye, fair calls, and authority behind the plate, but also for his camaraderie among all of the players.

Ray was a professionally trained umpire. He attended the Major League Umpire Development School in Florida and went on to work in professional baseball in the New York/PENN minor leagues. He always had a command of the game and very few disputed calls. He truly loved his time spent at the Tannery all those years and always spoke of it with great fondness.

As many of you know, Ray passed away in November of 2021. In recognition of his outstanding umpire career, the Ray Kietrys Memorial Committee was founded and is raising funds to install a granite monument and a bench at the Tannery Field in Hackettstown. Any amount you can give is greatly appreciated and will help tremendously. Even just sharing this with others will mean so much.

On behalf of the Committee and Ray’s friends and family, thank you very much for supporting this worthwhile cause honoring one of Hackettstown’s greats.