Longtime Dodgers organist Nancy Bea Hefley passes away

Longtime Dodger Stadium organist Nancy Bea Hefley passed away Saturday, according to a Facebook post by her son, Mark. She was 89.

Nancy Bea Hefley / Facebook

Hefley was the Los Angeles Dodgers' organist for 28 seasons, from 1988 until she retired in Oct. 2015.

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The Dodgers were (and are) among a few baseball teams who employ a live organist, allowing Hefley and her successor, Dieter Ruehle, to enjoy a special connection with fans — and players.

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When she announced her retirement, Dodgers pitcher-turned-broadcaster Orel Hershiser presented her with a Dodgers jersey and a bouquet of flowers – a testament to her importance to the team.

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Hefley became known for playing "Master of the House" from Les Miserables prior to Hershiser's starts, a nod to the pitcher's love of Broadway musicals.

Hefley's encyclopedic knowledge of music allowed her sense of humor to shine through on occasion.

Nancy Bea plays the theme song from The Andy Griffith Show as Stephen Fife leaves the mound.
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) June 4, 2013

"I get my cues off the game," she said in a 2004 interview with the Los Angeles Times. "One of the funniest times was when a fellow on the other team lost count of the outs. (I don’t ever do things against our players.) He was on first and he thought there were just two outs. So he ran to second. Then he ran to third. Then everyone’s walking off the field. And he realized it was the third out. I played 'We’re Poor Little Lambs Who’ve Lost Our Way.' "

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A San Pedro native, Hefley was preceded in death by her husband, Bill.

In addition to her work for the Dodgers, Hefley played the organ for more than 55 years at Bellflower Baptist Church, where she met her husband. (Coincidentally, Bill Hefley was among the construction workers who helped erect Dodger Stadium in 1962.)

She was a substitute organist for the Angels before auditioning for the Dodger job on Valentine’s Day 1988, at an exhibition game between the Dodgers and USC.

"I have had a wonderful time playing for the Dodgers and their fans," Hefley said in 2015.

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