LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nancy Bea Hefley, who entertained Los Angeles Dodgers fans as the team's organist for 27 years, died Saturday. She was 89.
Her son, Mark, announced her death in a Facebook post. “We lost my Mom today. She's in heaven with my Dad, Nancy Bea is gone from us sad day for us but good day for her and my Dad.”
The Dodgers said on X that she “delighted millions of fans for nearly 30 years.”
Public address announcer Todd Leitz informed the Dodger Stadium crowd of Hefley's death and there was a moment of silence before the game against the Detroit Tigers.
“There was just a gut punch exhale and reaction from this crowd,” backup play-by-play announcer Stephen Nelson said on the television broadcast.
Hefley took over from Helen Dell in 1988 and became as much a fan favorite as Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully and retired manager Tom Lasorda. Scully died in 2022 and Lasorda died in 2021.
Eventually, Hefley's playing time was reduced in 2015, and after she posted on Facebook that she didn’t fit in, the Dodgers offered her a lifetime contract.
“They said I had a job as long as I want the job, the job would not be open for anyone else,” she told the Los Angeles Times. “I will be signing a new contract at the end of the year.”
But during the final homestand of that season, Hefley announced her retirement. She was honored on the field before her final game.
She was succeeded by Dieter Ruehle, just the third organist the team has had since 1971.
Hefley began playing the piano at age 4 and at 13 she talked her teacher into showing her the basics of the organ.
She commuted to each homestand from her home in Silver Springs, Nevada, while renting a second home locally. She was accompanied by her husband, Bill, whom she met while playing the organ at Bellflower Baptist Church. He died in 2019.
She was a substitute organist for the Los Angeles Angels before auditioning for the Dodgers job in February 1988 at an exhibition game. The team went on to win the World Series that fall.
Pitcher Orel Hershiser became a star during the team's championship run, winning the National League Cy Young Award.
Hefley would play “Master of the House,” from the musical “Les Misérables” whenever Hershiser took the mound.
Hefley said her repertoire included 2,000 songs she could play from memory.
Asked if she ever got sick of playing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” Hefley told the Los Angeles Times in 2004, “You'd think I would. But actually I don't.”
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FILE - Dodgers organist Nancy Bea Hefley hugs center fielder Matt Kemp (27) after she throws out the first pitch prior to the Dodgers playing against the San Diego Padres in their MLB baseball game in Los Angeles, on April 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo, File)
FILE - Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser waves with organist Nancy Bea Hefley during a ceremony prior to a baseball game between the Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, on Oct. 2, 2015, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Courage is based in love, Melania Trump said Tuesday as she recognized eight women from around the world for bravery, including an Israeli citizen who was held captive by Hamas for nearly two months after the militant group's deadly raid on her country in October 2023.
“These extraordinary women illuminate the transformative power of love in shaping our world,” the first lady said during a ceremony at the State Department, which created the International Women of Courage Award. “Their journeys remind us that true courage is born from a deep commitment to others, showing the love fuels the call for justice.”
The first lady defined courage as “a strength that is based in love,” and she sought parallels with the diverse group of honorees. She said that, in her own life, “I have harnessed the power of love as a source of strength during challenging times. Love has inspired me to embrace forgiveness, nurture empathy and exhibit bravery in the face of unforeseen obstacles.”
The first lady singled out recipient Georgiana Pascu, of Romania, as someone who exemplifies “love in action." Pascu advocates for the rights of institutionalized children and adults with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities, the State Department said.
“Georgiana is a ‘watchdog’ who defends the dignity of Romanians whose voices cannot be heard,” Trump said, telling the audience that Pascu “fearlessly enters” facilities designated as “care centers,” often dropping in unannounced, to rescue people with disabilities “who are unwittingly held captive.”
“Thanks to Georgiana's brave work, dozens of offenders have been charged with human trafficking, exploitation and even organized crime,” the first lady said.
Another honoree, Israeli lawyer Amit Soussana, has publicly described being sexually assaulted during the 55 days that Hamas kept her in Gaza after the attack. On Tuesday, she delivered a passionate plea for freedom for the hostages still held, saying, “My friends remain in the dark” after more than 540 days, ”still suffering, still waiting, still hoping.”
“Every single day that passes is another day of unimaginable suffering,” she said. “With every passing moment, their pain deepens, their hopes fades and their chances of survival diminish. I call on the world to act, to bring them home now, not tomorrow, not next week. Now.”
The other award recipients are:
__Henriette Da, of Burkina Faso, a human rights advocate.
__Major Velena Iga, of Papua New Guinea, an advocate for combatting violence against women and human trafficking.
__Angelique Songco, of the Philippines, also known as “Mama Ranger," because she leads a small team of rangers protecting Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park from illegal fishing and poaching.
__Zabib Musa Loro Bakhit, of South Sunday, a women's rights leader.
__Namini Wijedasa, of Sri Lanka, an investigative journalist.
__Amat Al-Salam Al-Hajj, of Yemen, who works to bring international attention to the plight of thousands of abducted and forcibly detained Yemenis.
A group award named for Madeleine Albright, the late former secretary of state, went to female student leaders who protested against violent repression in Bangladesh in July and August of 2024.
Now in its 19th year, the International Women of Courage Award recognizes women from around the world who have shown “exceptional courage, strength and leadership, often at great personal risk and sacrifice."
More than 200 women from over 90 countries have been recognized since the first awards in 2007.
Melania Trump arrives to speak during the International Women of Courage award ceremony, Tuesday April 1, 2025, held at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, center, next to Angelique Songco, of the Philippines, left, who is also known as "Mama Ranger," at the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, and Zabib Musa Loro Bakhit, of South Sudan, a women's rights leader, attends the International Women of Courage award ceremony, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
First lady Melania Trump, left, is introduced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during the International Women of Courage award ceremony, Tuesday April 1, 2025, at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
First lady Melania Trump speaks during the International Women of Courage award ceremony, Tuesday April 1, 2025, at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
First lady Melania Trump speaks during the International Women of Courage award ceremony, Tuesday April 1, 2025, at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
