Ed Baume, Costa Mesa’s ‘Mr. Pop Warner,’ dies at 88

For almost half a century, Ed Baume saw many football coaches come and go through Costa Mesa. Baume was always around to offer a helping hand.

Baume, known as “Mr. Pop Warner” in Costa Mesa, died Sunday at age 88. Baume died from complications from his declining health due to a recent stroke, said his son Gary.

Ed Baume was an avid supporter of Costa Mesa football, on the high school and youth levels. His two sons, Steve and Gary, played at Costa Mesa High in the 1970s, and his grandsons, Dan and Sean, in the 1990s.

Baume kept stats for the Mustangs on Friday nights, and on Saturday mornings he volunteered his time with Costa Mesa Pop Warner.

“At Costa Mesa Pop Warner, he was our foundation,” said Yumi Watanabe-Patterson, who served on the board with Baume for 14 years. “He remembered everything. He was our walking reference book. He was so reliable. You could always count on Ed.”

Baume was the kind of man who showed up to Costa Mesa High on a Saturday morning before the head football coach.

“The Saturday after every game, even after getting our butts kicked, 49-0, or 42-0, the first person I’d see would be Ed with his stats in his hand,” said Jeremy Osso, who was in charge of the Mustangs from 2006 to 2010. “My first year was tough. When I got down on myself, Ed was always there to put a positive spin on things, saying, ‘We rushed for 15 more yards than we did last week.’

“Ed’s encouragement helped me get through the tough times, and for that, I will always be grateful.”

Baume, born in Coronado on Oct. 25, 1927, is survived by his brother Harry, sons Steve and Gary, grandsons Dan, Sean and Tim, and great-grandson Daniel II.

Gary said his father’s ashes will be placed with the ashes of his wife, Noreen, at Riverside National Cemetery on March 30 at 1:30 p.m. There will be a full service military funeral for Baume, who served in the Army for 20 years.

A memorial to celebrate Baume’s life is to take place Saturday at 5 p.m. on Parsons Field on the Waldorf School of Orange County campus, located on 2350 Canyon Drive in Costa Mesa.

“It’s going to have a tailgate football feel to it,” said Gary, adding that football is what kept his father going after he lost his wife in June 2014. “He was just so involved with football in the community. We used to talk about a lot of different things that were going on and how he was trying to make the Pop Warner program better and the Costa Mesa football program as well. I’m going to miss those conversations.

“He gave back to the community and that’s what kept him busy, it gave him a purpose. He felt like he was making a difference.”