From the first time he took to the field as a player in his hometown of Port Arthur, to his years serving behind the plate, and as a dedicated volunteer, this outstanding builder of sport was truly devoted to the game of baseball.

Beginning as a player in the midget and junior leagues during the 1940s he established himself on the field as a strong second baseman and at the plate as a consistent hitter. His time in the senior ranks with the Port Arthur Giants and Red Sox saw him as a league leading batter and top offensive player.

Moving behind the plate and into the board room in the mid 1950s, he went on to serve as an umpire and baseball administrator into the 1990s. One of the most highly respected umpires in the game, he served as an umpire-in-chief and his skills were called upon for national and international events. In 1972 and 1974 he was selected to represent Canada as an umpire at the Senior Little League World Series in Gary, Indiana, becoming one of the first umpires from Thunder Bay to be asked to return for a second tournament.

When Thunder Bay hosted the 1981 Canada Summer Games, he was chosen to sit on the Baseball Committee in charge of umpires. Spending close to two decades as the area's representative to Baseball Ontario, his efforts resulted in the hosting of local umpiring and coaching clinics and the inclusion of local teams in provincial baseball championships.

A builder of sport in the truest sense of the word, it was Jim's unwavering dedication to the Thunder Bay Senior Baseball Association that saw it through some challenging times which allowed it to grow into the organization that it is today.

Active in a number of capacities with the association from the 1960s to the early 1990s, including serving as President, he was most often the only non-playing member of the Executive, taking on duties ranging from fundraising to scheduling. Following his passing in 2011, the organization recognized his extraordinary contributions by renaming their championship trophy the Jim Mauro Memorial Trophy.

Through his unwavering commitment to the game of baseball, as a player, umpire and volunteer, Jim Mauro truly left a legacy of excellence in sport in his community.

Inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, September 26, 2015