Edward Baum, May 29, 1935–Oct. 18, 2025 

Edward (known to many as “Ed”) was born in New York City to Rosalind (Fields) Baum and Edward Seymour Baum. His family left New York for Los Angeles, Calif., in the fall of 1935 and Edward was reared in the area. Graduating from Excelsior Union High School in Norwalk, he earned a bachelor of arts in international relations and a doctorate in political science from UCLA, where he met and married Jean Carswell and they had a daughter, Sandra.

In 1964, Edward, Jean and Sandy moved to Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, where Edward continued his career in the Department of Political Science with a few side trips. The first side trip was four years, 1965-1969, in Kano, Nigeria, with an OU educational project funded by USAID. Returning to Ohio University, Edward progressed through the academic ranks including time as Assistant Dean of Faculties (now titled Associate Provost) and Director for the Center for International Studies. In the early 1980s, Edward took another side trip, this time to Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, to undertake studies in public administration because there was a need for the classes at OU and no one to teach them. His last side trip was a six-month sabbatical with an assignment examining policy development at the Pentagon. 

After marrying Anita James in 1980, Edward became more involved in community service when he joined the Morning Kiwanis Club. That was a steppingstone to building (with Ray Wagner and Ted Kohan) the Athens Civitan Club where, in 1985, he served as Charter President. Building the Athens club was followed by service as the Governor of the Ohio District in 1991-1992; he represented Ohio and the mid-Atlantic coast on the Civitan International Board of Directors from 1999-2001 and was elected International President for 2005-2006.

Teaching public administration brought Edward to local government, where he was elected four times as Athens City Council Member-at-Large (1996-2003). He served on the Athens Strategic Planning Commission from 1998-2003, chairing it from 1998-2001. From 2013 until 2019, Edward was a member of the Athens City Board of Zoning Appeals.

As an early retiree from OU, Edward became active in the O.U. Emeriti Association. He served eight and a half years on the executive board, three of which were as president, two as immediate past president, and three and a half as treasurer.

In the broader community, for 13 years Edward volunteered at the office of Habitat for Humanity of Southeast Ohio, preparing and sending out the weekly updates and maintaining volunteer records. He was a charter member of The Athens Village (helping members age in place in their homes), eventually serving on the board for six years and as president for three years.

The roles highlighted thus far encouraged intellectual activity but remaining physically active was also on Edward’s agenda. He founded the Southeast Ohio Chair Volleyball Tournament in 2003 and directed it until 2018. He was an advisory board member of the OhioHealth-O’Bleness Hospital’s SeniorBEAT program for 12 years and an exercise instructor in the program for 15 years.

Edward and Anita chose Kendal at Lexington, a Life Plan Community (formerly labeled CCRCs) in Lexington as their final home in 2019. Moving to a community where they had no ties did not slow down Edward. Even before arriving at Kendal, Edward introduced the staff at the fitness center to chair volleyball and brought balls, a net and guidelines with him. Within weeks of arriving in Lexington, Edward signed up as a volunteer at the Rockbridge Public Library and continued working there until mid-2025. He served as a grant reviewer for the United Way of Rockbridge, attended Lexington City Council meetings, and remained interested in city happenings until the end.

At Kendal, in addition to introducing chair volleyball to residents across the campus, Edward shared his knowledge and expertise as an at-large member of the Residents Council including a term as vice-president, and on the Facilities and Wellness committees. Edward also made several significant donations (anonymously) to further the quality of life on the campus.

So, as Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Rabindranath Tagore opined, “I slept and dreamt that life was joy; I awoke and found that life was service. I acted, and behold, service was joy.” A fitting tribute to a gentle man and a life well-lived.

Edward is survived by his wife, Anita James; daughter Sandy Spades; Anita’s son Robert  Capps (and his wife Dina Facciolo); and half-sisters Lorrie Baum (and her wife Ann) and Betsy Weston. There are also two Capps’ grandchildren serving in the U.S. Navy in the U.S. and Italy.

A celebration of life for Edward will be held on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 2 to 4 p.m. in Kendal Hall, Kendal at Lexington. All who knew Edward are welcome to join his family for the afternoon. There will be a private scattering of his ashes at The Meadow at Boxerwood before the service. 

Contributions in Edward’s honor may be made to the Staff Appreciation Fund of Kendal at Lexington, 160 Kendal Drive, Lexington, VA 24450; Civitan International, P.O. Box 382857, Birmingham, AL 35238, both 501 c 3 organizations; or a charitable organization of your choice.