Anthony (Tony) J. Canna, 82, of South Holland, was a longtime umpire of 16-inch softball leagues in the Chicago area. He died March 9 at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey. Born and raised in the Grand Crossing neighborhood of Chicago, Mr. Canna served with the U.S. Army in World War II as a nurse in Saipan. Afterward, he began his career as an umpire in South Chicago and the East Side. He soon joined Jim Edgeworth and the Official Umpires Association, eventually becoming the rules interpreter for leagues playing at Grant Park and many other softball league sites. He was considered one of the top umpires from 1940 to 1960, and he was inducted into the Chicago 16-inch Softball Hall of Fame last year. He played semiprofessional baseball during the 1930s. Mr. Canna had worked at Standard Oil in Whiting, Ind., and as a manager of a bulk station that handled chemical shipments at Kaiser Aluminum in Dolton. He is survived by his wife, Ann, and a daughter, Marilyn. Services were held last week.
