June 27, 1947 − January 8, 2024
When Ed Cassel passed away at Alameda Healthcare and Wellness on January 8, 2024, he was 77 years old.
An accomplished artist, Ed was a graduate of New York City’s School of Visual Arts and earned an MFA from The Art Institute of Chicago. An Alameda resident for 35 years, Ed created large graphics throughout the Bay Area for more than 30 years. His public art commissions include the Oakland Main Library and the Mendocino County Courthouse.
Ed painted backdrops for theatrical venues and feature films with Scenic Artists Union Local 816. Commercial clients have included Tower Records and Pacific Bell. Ed and muralist Dan Fontes teamed up to create pictorial art for Playland-Not-at-the-Beach Museum in El Cerrito.
A lifelong friend to Michael Schiess and Melissa Harmon, Ed was an avid pinball player and shared the joy of flipping with Michael so greatly that it led to the birth of the Pacific Pinball Museum in Alameda. Ed was a dear friend and supporter of the museum, participating in the design of the logo, the Lucky JuJu Art Shows and most notably producing the lion’s share of beautiful murals of pinball art for the museum. In 2009, Ed and Dan Fontes led the team that created the murals for the new museum space, along with many more to follow, including those by d’Arci Bruno, Rosie Morales, and Eric Kos.
“If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I am proud to pay homage to the originators of the pinball backglass art that these murals are based upon,” Ed said. “The idea of enlarging these works of art is to kindle a new interest in them via a ‘looking glass’ effect in which you look at a scene but also experience it directly. We hope to awaken the fond memories of those who first played these games and offer new memories for all who encounter this art for the first time.”
Ed will live on through his work that he left for us to enjoy, in every room of the Pacific Pinball Museum. We will never forget him.
Ed Cassel’s Memorial Service will be held on March 26, 3 to 7 p.m., at the Pacific Pinball Museum, 1510 Webster Street. If you have photos of Ed that you’d like to share, please bring them to the museum in advance. The museum will be free for all guests during the memorial, which will be in the “Replay Room,” the farthest room toward the back of the museum across from the original “Lucky JuJu” room. Please come by, say hello, play some pinball, and sign Ed’s memorial book. Ed would like that.
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