Walter L. Edge died Thursday, Dec. 11, 2003 in Walnut Creek. He
was 80.
Walter L. Edge
Walter L. Edge died Thursday, Dec. 11, 2003 in Walnut Creek. He was 80.
He was born Oct. 10, 1923 in Oakland. As a youth, he attained the rank of Eagle in the Boy Scouts. He served with the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during WWII. He retired from Allied Chemical after 34 years as a chemical operator and lived in Concord since 1951.
As boys growing up in Berkeley, baseball notable Billy Martin pretended he lived with Walt to be able to play on Walt’s neighborhood team.
While in the Navy, Walt and a buddy were hitchhiking in Southern California and were picked up by a man riding in a chauffeured Cadillac. The man took them to famous singer Carmen Miranda’s house where they all enjoyed sandwiches around the pool and a song and dance by the hostess before the man had his chauffeur take the young sailors to their destination.
He was a member of the Pleasant Hills Seniors, Knights of Columbus, Concord Seniors and the Moose Lodge. He enjoyed sports, especially the 49ers and Giants, and playing keno and slot machines at the casinos.
Walt traveled extensively around the United States and to other countries with his wife of 48 years, Ruth, before she died Dec. 12, 1998.
He is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Rick and Mary of San Juan Bautista; two grandsons, Rick of Pacific Grove, and Adrian and his wife Audra of Mariposa; and three great-grandchildren. He is also survived by a sister, Mary Westlund of Atascadero, three nephews, a niece and several cousins. He also leaves a very close friend, Harriet Pierce.
A memorial Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, 2003 at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 860 Oak Grove Road in Concord.
Private inurnment will be at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Pleasant Hill.
Donations may be made to Guide Dogs for the Blind, P.O. Box 151200, San Rafael, Calif., 94915.
