Edwin T. Powell nee Pawelski

January 8, 1920 - October 23, 2011

Edwin Powell, former coach, city administrator, and civic leader, died October 23rd at the age of 91. Born Edwin Pawelski in South Bend, Indiana, on January 8, 1920, Ed developed into a stellar athlete, fine student, and exemplary young man. In 1939, as captain of both the South Bend Central High School baseball and basketball teams, he couldn’t escape the attention of another young man also known for his character. It was Ed’s coach, the man who would become a college basketball legend, John Wooden.

Although Wooden was 10 years older, the two clicked, and it began a friendship that lasted until Wooden’s death at the age of 99. Powell (he ultimately changed his name officially after his teammates took to calling him that) was Wooden’s assistant coach at Indiana State Teacher’s College (before becoming simply Indiana State University) and followed him to UCLA to be his assistant in the job that would make Wooden a household name, and UCLA the undisputed greatest team in college sports. After 4 years with Wooden, Powell went out on his own, to coach and become the athletic director at Loyola University in Los Angeles. With a strong affinity for teaching kids and ironically, childless himself, he decided his talents could best be utilized by opening a boy’s camp, which he owned and operated for 11 years. “The Teepee Club” became a leader in its field with thousands of boys, and girls, participating in summer camps, after-school clubs and swim schools.

But Powell continued to seek new challenges, so at age 40 he enrolled at USC and received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. That led to a 23-year career running cities from various positions. He served in Culver City, Inglewood, and Downey before becoming City Manager of Irwindale, and then in 1967, the City Administrator of Placentia, where he remained until his retirement in 1983. Powell was the former President of the Orange County City Managers Association, was the Management Innovator of the Year as recognized by the International City Management Association, and traveled the world as a City Ambassador of Good Will, visiting countries like Poland, Sweden and China. Upon his retirement from city service, he was bestowed with the title of “City Administrator Emeritus” by the Placentia City Council, had two Placentia streets, Powell Drive and Henrietta Circle, named after him and his wife, and is the namesake of the Edwin T.

Powell Building on Bradford Street in Placentia. He was on the Boards of Directors of the Rotary Club, the Lions Club, Friends in Service to Humanity, Children’s Hospital Padrinos of Orange County, and Fullerton College Patrons of the Arts. He was also deeply involved in the Boy Scouts of America, The March of Dimes, the American Red Cross, the American Cancer Society, the Orange County Senior Advisory Council, The Senior Legislative Committee, Orange County Historical Commission, and was a charter member of the Professional Businessmen’s Organization. Ed’s remarkable life included a 3-year stint in the U.S. Marine Corps, being dubbed “The Boy Wonder” while pitching the Bendix Brakes Softball Club to a World Championship, a season barn-storming with the history-making “House Of David Baseball Team,” being awarded an Honorary Degree by Cal State Fullerton, and being cited by the U.S.

House of Representatives in the Congressional Record in 1981. He was proud to say he only dated two women in his life...his wife of 63 years, Henrietta, and then as a widower, Marion Goen, with whom he spent 3 happy years before her passing in 2008. It is impossible to measure Ed Powell’s life without comparing him to John Wooden, with whom he kept in close touch on a weekly basis. About Wooden, Ed would often say, “Just trying to be like him makes you a better person.” Those who knew Ed Powell can say the same thing. He is survived by legions of family and friends who are honored to have had him in their lives.

A Rosary will be held on Monday, November 7, 2011 at 7:30pm at the Pope John Paul ll Polish Center, with Funeral services the following day, November 8, at 10am at the same location, 3999 Rose Dr. Yorba Linda.

Sources: Ancestry.com and Newspapers.com

07/26/2025 EJS