Ed Bemis

Ed Bemis was a Tacoma sports icon for six decades. He was born in Port Angeles on October 17, 1924 and passed away on October 28, 2004. Ed graduated from Lincoln High School - where he played third base in baseball for the Abes and on both sides of the ball in football - in 1943.

When he returned from the Navy, Bemis married Tina Gagliardi who had attended high school with him. They lived in the Puyallup Valley for 48 years where they reared their three children.

He also enrolled at the College of Puget Sound following the Navy where he continued to participate in athletics. On the football team he started at right halfback and later was moved to quarterback.

Bemis founded the Pierce County Bengals semi-pro football team in 1973. In 1977 the Bengals won the West Coast Semi-Pro Championship. The Bengals were crowned national champions by Pro Football Weekly in 1979 after defeating San Jose.

Ed was also the driving force and organizer of the Old Jocks Lunch Club in 1994 which gave athletes who played high school and college sports back in the 40s an excuse to renew friendships and remember the "good ole days".

Ed retired from the Kelley Farquhar Frozen Food Company in Puyallup as general plant manager but his fondest and favorite activities were his founding of the Pierce County Bengals and the Old Jox Lunch Club.