2019

Edwin J. Batiste

In January Ed Batiste lost his long & brave battle with cancer.  Ed was a highly skilled and dedicated volunteer for the SF Region of SCCA and Thunderhill Raceway.  Ed was a brave and competent Flagger, an excellent Communicator and, when needed, he could do both jobs simultaneously.  He also had a perfect personality for working our Membership  Booth at Laguna Seca, helping us in bringing new members to our club.  Ed was so proud to be wearing his flagger’s whites as he interacted with the booth’s visitors.

We’ve not only lost a excellent volunteer.  A genuinely good man with a warm smile will not be with us to brighten our day.

A checkered flag for signing will be at the Driver’s School.

written by David Allen

Memorial Services will be held:

Saturday, February 23, 2019 at 11:00 am

Corpus Christi Church, 322 St James Dr, Piedmont, CA.

Edwin J. Batiste

(Pops/Butch/Batiste/Ed)

Walnut Creek, CA.

Obituary written by Ed’s daughter

Grace swept over Edwin J. Batiste in the early morning hours of Jan. 17th, 2019, as he transitioned on to his next journey. Exploring almost every inch of the West Coast, Walnut Creek, CA is where he chose to call home with his lovingly devoted wife Sue Batiste and his most loyal companions Jeremiah-the-Bull-Frog (Jerry) and Giuseppe (G-Man) faithfully at his side.

As an active community member and President/Treasurer of local boards, Ed was a man of many passions. His ability to recount his adventures with such engaging, poetic and photo-journalistic beauty left his family, friends and loved ones with treasures for a lifetime. Whether immersed in nature, fishing or road tripping to a favorite hidden gem, cruising on his prized Indian motorcycle, indulging in top-tier cuisine or rushing in as a first responder on the unforgiving raceways of Laguna Seca, Thunderhill or officiating the Long Beach Grand Prix; he experienced the joy of many lives yet beautifully compacted them into one.

An awarded member of the SF Region SCCA (Sports Car Club of America), he also appreciated the slow lane and relished in cruising his classic 1988 BMW 528e that he pridefully restored over the years. A true educator at heart, he had an encyclopedic knowledge of the world around him that he loved to share. Narrating the history, geography and topography of his many roads traveled, teaching his kin nature’s ropes in the tide pools of Palos Verdes, schooling us on music legends such as Stanley Clarke and Chick Corea, or quite simply, midnight star gazing at Irish Beach and watching the planes take flight from LAX were just some of the moments he held dear.

Although he left his heart in the San Francisco Bay area, his roots are forever planted in the spirit of New Orleans. Lovingly adored by his “mini’s,” he also cherished every moment as Grandpa Ed. In comfort, he now joins his father,  beloved mother and favorite comrade Jerry. While in life, his legacy lives on through his beloved wife Sue, brothers, sisters, children, grand-children, family, friends and all lives that he’s forever touched.

In lieu of flowers, we’d be honored if you donated in Ed’s name to the following foundation: USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center Memorial and Honor Fund:

https://uscnorriscancer.usc.edu/support/memorial.html

Additional info on Legacy.com