Longtime Dodger Stadium Chef Dave Pearson Dies at 75
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dave Pearson, who worked as a chef at Dodger Stadium for over 50 years, has died. He was 75.
The team said Pearson died Saturday after a lengthy illness.
Pearson worked at various locations within the stadium, creating meals for sporting greats, Hollywood stars and presidents of the U.S. In recent years, he cooked in the press dining room that bore the sign "Dave's Diner" in his honor.
His illness kept him away from his stadium kitchen for much of this season, although Pearson made a final visit last month.
A Brooklyn native who cheered the Dodgers as a child, Pearson moved with his mother to Southern California at age 16. After learning to cook at a small restaurant in the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles, Pearson took a part-time job at Dodger Stadium, launching a career that spanned decades.
Pearson's outgoing personality made him a popular figure at the stadium, where his friends included Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully, retired Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda and team president and CEO Stan Kasten.
"Regardless of the demands that came with serving so many people at a venue like Dodger Stadium, he always maintained his composure," Scully said. "To look at Dave, everything was always fine. He was always smiling. He was a great gift to us, both his cooking and the type of person he was. He will be deeply missed."
Pearson's hobbies included travel, tennis, jazz music, model trains and building dollhouses for his granddaughter.
He is survived by his wife of 10 years, Sherry, his daughters and three grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements were pending.
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