Pennsylvania man honored for more than 5 decades of refereeing basketball

No matter what call a referee makes, someone is going to be unhappy.

So, when a basketball game was stopped Feb. 3 to cheer for an official, it was a rare occurrence.

“It was a touching moment and brought tears to my eyes,” said Bernie Mackowski, 76, of Erie, who was being recognized for his 51 years officiating in District 10 for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. “It was totally unexpected but appreciated.”

The moment was captured on video and went viral on social media. That is how Mackowski’s son, Ryan Mackowski, who lives in Penn Township, heard about it — people were calling and texting him.

“This is great to see social media being used for something positive,” Ryan Mackowski said. “It is mind-blowing all the views the video has gotten. I told my dad to bask in the limelight and his 15 minutes of fame, to soak it all up. For the school to take time to recognize him is wonderful.”

Bernie Mackowski is the last of a dying breed of those who stay with a job for 40 or more years, Ryan Mackowski said.

“He fought in Vietnam, was a school teacher and has the passion to give back to his community,” he said. “He has been refereeing since before I was born. My brothers Kevin, Sean and I and our entire family have an amazing role model in him and his granddaughters and great granddaughter get to see their grandfather be recognized.”

Bernie Mackowski is still taking it all in.

He said he was officiating his final varsity game, between Eisenhower and Northwestern girls varsity basketball teams, when the Northwestern coach called a timeout. He realized something was up when the Northwestern principal got on the microphone and suggested Bernie Mackowski face the crowd. It was announced it was his final varsity game. He shook hands with the other officials, players and coaches as those in attendance applauded. Some students from across the court wanted him to walk across, but he declined, he said, because he didn’t want to get more emotional.

“It was surreal,” Bernie Mackowski said. “I never expected anything like that in my wildest dreams.”

The moment, captured on video by Tom Reisenweber of the Erie Times News, has gone viral on X with close to 2 million views. The story was picked up by “World News Tonight.”

After 51 years and thousands of high school games, Bernie Mackowski is hanging up his black and white referee stripes and got a surprise sendoff at his last varsity basketball game in Albion, Pennsylvania. @DavidMuir has the story. https://t.co/V2gGHGfdI9 pic.twitter.com/3wsicB9Fzn

— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) February 14, 2025

Bernie Mackowski said he thought it was odd when the coach whose team was winning by double digits called for a 30-second timeout.

“But I said OK,” he said.

The elder Mackowski began refereeing when his wife, Marcia, was expecting the first of their three sons as a way to make extra money. He recalled the pay for a grade school game was $6 and $25 for a high school varsity game his first year.

“My dad’s dedication is incredible,” Ryan Mackowski said. “He has driven through snowstorms to get to games. It takes a lot of time and dedication. My dad had no idea they were doing this. It wasn’t scripted.”

Bernie Mackowski said it is not always easy being an official because you get criticized and berated. But there is more good than bad, he said. He said he is going to miss the association with all of the people he’s met over the years from coaches and players to the camaraderie among other officials.

Bernie Mackowski had one more basketball game Friday, a junior varsity game at Northwestern. He is also a high school baseball umpire. His final high school baseball season will be this spring.

“It’s time,” he said. “My body is telling me it is.”

Most of the games he has done are in Northwest Pennsylvania. He has officiated some playoff games on this side of the state. The PIAA has 4,351 officials for boys and girls basketball.

Being able to go out on his own terms is wonderful, said Patrick Gebhart, associate executive director for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.

“You love being on the court or the field, and it is rewarding because of the relationships you make and the people you meet,” Gebhart said. “It also helps you make some money and gives you physical activity. It is a way to give back to the game. You can tell what type of person Bernie is by watching that video. He didn’t want the limelight on him. It is amazing for someone to stick with it for that long and avoid injury or other life events that take you away. I root for guys like Bernie.”