Phil Mumma (May 15, 1941 - September 24, 2013)

Phil was born in Memphis, Tennessee, but attended Webster Groves schools, in St. Louis, graduating from Webster Groves High School in 1959. He began college at Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana on an athletic scholarship for baseball and basketball; he transferred to Mizzou in his sophomore year, where he subsequently obtained Bachelor's and Master's degrees in journalism. He then joined his parents in southern California, and went to work in the public relations  department of an oil company. 

He enlisted in the Navy in 1966, during the Vietnam War.  He was stationed at Moffett Field in California as a journalist, and also served on ships in the Pacific. He told a tale of nearly falling from a helicopter over Vietnam, which left him vowing never to ride in aircraft again.

After his discharge in 1970, Phil settled in the San Franciso Bay area, and became director of public relations for the Oakland Port Authority.  Later, he was for many years associate director of the Oakland Museum, where he curated a number of exhibitions, including a large display commemorating the 150th anniversary of the California gold rush.  He wrote the book, Between Two Worlds:  The People of the Border, as well as chapters and articles in various publications.  Among the highlights of those years was a 2006 interview with basketball great Bill Russell.

Phil married in 1964, divorcing a decade or so later, with no children. In 1978, he and his second wife had triplet daughters - collectively weighing more than 19 pounds. After the couple divorced when the girls were 4, Phil raised his daughters as a single parent from that time on.

Phil was a dedicated father as well as coach of high school, collegiate, and club sports. In the late 1990s he launched Sorcerer Softball, a premiere fast pitch girls softball organization and training facility in the East Bay. His teams won numerous championships, including back-to-back national titles and the 2009 ASA 18 Gold National Championship.

Phil helped hundreds of high school girls earn athletic scholarships to top universities around the country.  His students achieved collegiate All-American honors, were selected for the USA National Team, and participated in the Olympic Games. The organization continues to grow and succeed since his passing.

He was a coach both on and off the field, was very competitive, had a terrific sense of humor, encyclopedic knowledge, and an amazing memory. 

Phil was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer in the late fall of 2012, and he died less than a year later at his home in Concord, California, with his children at his side.  A Celebration of Life was held in October 2013 at Hillside Covenant Church, Walnut Creek, CA. His body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at sea.

He is survived by his daughters Christina (Craig), Diana (Joseph), and Linda (Miguel), and grandchildren Sofia and Oliver.  Three additional grandchildren - Savannah, Vivian, and Tyler – were born after his death.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Esophageal Cancer Awareness Association: www.ecaware.org/donate

(Thanks to Judy Crowe Renick for the original obituary, which was expanded with information derived from another source.)