Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Long-time commissioner Bill Shurina receives a plaque for his contribution to the Marco Senior Softball League.
Rev. Chuck Ruoff (rear) processes into the San Marco Catholic Church sanctuary at the start of the memorial Mass for Bill Shurina.
Many players, officials, and supporters of the Marco Island Senior Softball league attended the memorial mass remembering Bill Shurina.
The program for the memorial Mass remembering Bill Shurina
Manager Chuck Reich accepts the championship trophy from commissioner Bill Shurina.
William Robert “Bill” Shurina, the longtime Commissioner of the Marco Island Senior Softball League (MISSL), passed away in early March at the age of 79. League players, coaches, umpires, officials, and supporters paid their final respects to Bill at his memorial mass held at San Marco Catholic Church on March 19, 2026. It was officiated by Rev. Chuck Ruoff, “Father Chuck”, the league’s unofficial chaplain.
Considered the “architect” of the league, Shurina, who served as MISSL commissioner from 2006 to 2023, is widely credited as the primary mastermind who grew the league to its current structure of more than 200 players on 16 teams. His dedication and commitment to making the MISSL a great experience for all the players, families, and fans were truly extraordinary. Many of the players who have been a part of the league have commented that there is no league that they have ever been a part of that is as finely run as the Marco Island Senior Softball League. And that is a testament to Bill’s leadership.
In addition to his commissioner duties, Bill anchored third base for many teams through the years, including DaVinci’s, Nacho Mama’s, and Joey’s Pizza, among others, and was a key part of several championships during that time. In addition to his softball skills, he was known for his competitive spirit as well as his sense of humor. As an example, he would talk about his three-step summer rule he used with a pop foul during the pick-up games. “If I gotta take three steps,” he said with a smile. “I ain’t getting it.” He would also refer to some of the other older players as “some kind of alien with green blood” if they had the health and skill level of a much younger player.
When Bill wasn’t playing in a game, he, along with his wife Barb (the league’s First Lady), could often be found in the press booth, announcing the games, often recounting stories of the many players that he knew and playing his favorite Rolling Stones tunes between innings. He also wrote recaps of every game and submitted them to the newspaper for 18 years, again demonstrating his unwavering commitment to the league he loved.
The entire Marco Island Senior Softball League family owes Bill a great deal of gratitude for the enormous contributions he made to the league over the years. Rest in Peace, Commish.
