Pautsch put in his time as lifesaver, dad

Elia Powers

Neighbors referred to him as the mayor of Highland Drive.

Retired Capt. Bernie Pautsch looked after the children on his

Newport Beach street. He was an enforcer, a mentor and a barber -- he

cut the hair of local high school football players to match his

patented buzz cut.

But Pautsch was hardly a stay-at-home dad.

“All he did was save lives,” said his son, Dwain Pautsch, a Costa

Mesa resident.

A longtime Newport Beach resident, Pautsch died Feb. 15 of

congestive heart failure. He was 84.

Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Pautsch joined the United States Marine

Corps at the age of 21. He spent 21 years in the military, mostly as

a pilot.

His family estimated that Pautsch flew at least 8,000 hours on 15

different aircraft carriers.

“He loved flying,” Dwain Pautsch said. “He loved the adrenaline

and the people he met. He never wanted to fly commercial airlines

because he didn’t want to play taxi service, he told me.”

Pautsch went on numerous overseas tours and moved from city to

city in the United States during the early years of his military

career.

Dwain Pautsch said his father always went out of his way to be

available for family events and spend time with his children. But he

never spoke about his Marine service unless asked, Dwain said.

When he did speak, Pautsch commanded an audience.

“He loved to sit and talk with you,” said Gaelyn Pautsch, Dwain’s

wife. “He was very engaging.”

For the final three years of his military career, Bernie Pautsch

headed the Marines’ Air Rescue Unit at El Toro, helping to save

military personnel and Orange County residents in distress. He flew

what locals referred to as the “Orange Angel,” a light-colored rescue

plane that flew over Newport Beach.

He was, perhaps, most well known for rescuing an injured fisherman

in a 55-mile-per-hour windstorm near the jetty. He also received

recognition for helping to save five people who had been involved in

a plane crash.

During his off days, Pautsch advised local police, California

Highway Patrol and Coast Guard members on safety measures. He had the

idea to put large numbers on the top of police vehicles so they could

be tracked by overhead helicopters, Dwain Pautsch said.

“He was always working with people to improve the way things were

run,” Dwain Pautsch said.

After he retired from the military, Pautsch spent 20 years as

manager of Cal’s Cameras in Costa Mesa.

Family members said he enjoyed going to swap meets, hunting,

fishing and going to his weekend home in Mammoth Lake.