Cliffe, while still establishing himself as a school baseball coach and prominent prep football coach, turned to umpiring in 1946. He touched all of the bases in non-pro umpiring while serving as a coaching teacher.

Cliffe was a top high school football coach for more than two decades, especially at his alma mater, Cleveland. His teams won Public High League championships in 1965, '66 and '68.

Ray Cliffe passed away on January 8, 2013.