It was a bittersweet Saturday for the Los Angeles Dodgers. On one hand, they clinched home field advantage for their NLDS playoff matchup with the New York Mets, on the other hand, they held a memorial service for longtime Dodger Stadium chef and friend, Dave Pearson.
The average fan who has come through Dodger Stadium over the past 50 years has never met Dave. More than likely, they've never even heard of him. But, they've tasted his food, and been impacted by his life, whether they know it or not.
Pearson worked at Dodger Stadium for more than 50 years, cooking and creating meals for sports heroes, movie stars, and even presidents of the United States.
Like the Dodgers themselves, Pearson was born in Brooklyn, and moved to Los Angeles with his mother in 1956, two years before the Dodgers would follow his path to the west. Pearson worked in a small restaurant in Boyle Heights before joining the Dodgers on a part-time basis when the new stadium opened.
For over five decades, Chef Dave's food was prepared for fans at Dodger Stadium. In 1988 Pearson moved into a permanent position inside the Dodgers' Press Box where he would prepare and serve food to the media for the next 27 years. The move worked as Los Angeles would win the World Series that year.
"Besides being a wonderful cook, Dave had a great personality," Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully said. "Regardless of the demands that come with serving so many people at a venue like Dodger Stadium, he always maintained his composure. He was a great gift to us, both his cooking and the type of person he was. He will be deeply missed."
Pearson passed on Saturday, Sept. 12th after a lengthy battle with Stage 4 lung cancer at the age of 75. In his honor, the Dodgers renamed the press dining room "Dave's Diner," and had various members of the media bring flowers and sign cards for Chef Dave.
Sports
Get today's sports news out of Los Angeles. Here's the latest on the Dodgers, Lakers, Angels, Kings, Galaxy, LAFC, USC, UCLA and more LA teams.
On Saturday morning, at the Dodger Stadium Club restaurant, the organization in conjunction with the Levy group hosted a memorial in his honor.
"In his long tenure with the Dodgers, Dave touched many of you on a personal level," said Executive Vice President of the Dodgers Bob Wolfe. "In addition to being a dedicated employee, Dave greeted all of our staff with a big welcome and even bigger smile for many years… and served us all as if we were guests in his own home."
Pearson told LA Times columnist Bill Plaschke in June after news of his illness became public that, "cooking for the people, that's what makes me happy." While Dave derived pleasure from cooking for all of us in the media, in truth, the pleasure was entirely ours.
