Column: Virgen’s View: Coach Baldwin fondly remembered

There were several stories told during Tom Baldwin’s memorial at Santa Ana Bowl on Sunday. Bobby Reyes told a poignant one, essentially Baldwin’s final thoughts.

Reyes, a former player of the longtime, beloved coach who worked at Santa Ana High, Santa Ana Valley and Costa Mesa, said Baldwin expressed a strong desire that he did not want to die in his final moments while battling effects from Parkinson’s disease.

Reyes did his best to ease his friend, telling him he had done enough, reminding him of all the lives he had touched. It was OK. And at 86 years old, Baldwin had done plenty, all that he could. Sunday was the perfect reminder of it all, his life, a man who was humble, a great leader and a faithful friend.

Have you ever heard of a memorial service reserved for someone at Santa Ana Bowl? It would have to be for someone special and that man was Baldwin.

The Santa Ana High School band welcomed family, friends and former players of Baldwin’s with the song, “When the saints go marching in.”

Baldwin’s son, Danny, reminded everyone that Sunday wasn’t about sadness, but about celebration of a man who earned a Purple Heart while in the Army, coached hundreds of players and taught thousands of students.

I am grateful to have known Baldwin as I wrote about him in 2008. He invited me to his home. I also met his lovely wife, Carol. We talked about many stories of his life, his love for football and his faith in God. He said he enjoyed my company and prayed for me.

That’s the type of man Baldwin was, always caring, always encouraging and always wanting you to realize your best. He was a great mentor for many, including Kirk Bauermeister, a former principal at Estancia High School and athletic director at Costa Mesa who is a now an administrator for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

Bauermeister was one of a handful of people who spoke during Baldwin’s memorial. Bauermeister aptly described Baldwin as a man with a “servant’s heart.”

Isaac Curtis, the former NFL star receiver who is in the Cincinnati Bengals Hall of Fame, said Baldwin had a huge impact on his life. Curtis also expressed that Baldwin was a great motivator and had a way of hyping up his players so much that they would run through a brick wall for him.

Baldwin coached at Santa Ana from 1965 to 1974 in what many consider the golden age of prep football in Orange County. Baldwin guided the Saints to a 12-1 record and into the CIF Southern Section Division AAAA finals against Anaheim in 1967. Anaheim won, 27-6, in front of 26,383 fans at Anaheim Stadium. That same year, Baldwin was named Orange County Coach of the Year.

He is considered a coaching legend in Santa Ana. In Costa Mesa, he is beloved as an extraordinary teacher who also devoted much of his time coaching football and golf for the Mustangs.

Lindsey Slaney, a former golfer at Costa Mesa, spoke about her fondness for Baldwin and cried when she said he cheered for her during her final hole in what was her first competitive round, a grueling experience.

Slaney wore a green-striped skirt with Chuck Taylor Converse shoes because she said that’s what Coach Baldwin wanted his players to wear every Friday.

She tilted her head up a bit as she said words to Baldwin.

“You weren’t just a coach. You weren’t just a teacher. You were a friend. You were family. You were loved and you will never be forgotten.”

steven.virgen@latimes.com

Twitter: @SteveVirgen