Men's Basketball

Mary Ann Filippi, aka “Dancing Grandma”, Passes Away

[dropcap]On[/dropcap] Monday, Creighton lost one of its’ biggest and best fans when Mary Ann Filippi — better known as “Dancing Grandma” to legions of Bluejay faithful — passed away at age 92. Her late husband John, who graduated from Creighton’s dental school in the 1940’s, got her hooked on Bluejay basketball and she was a staple at their games for many years.

She became a local celebrity after the Jays moved to the CenturyLink (née Qwest) Center in 2003; the arena’s video boards offer temporary stardom to numerous fans each game, though from her very first appearance, it was clear there was something different about Filippi and the reaction she got from the crowd. She soon became a favorite target of the arena’s cameras, and after she did the “Raise the Roof” sign with her arms during one appearance — a suggestion from one of her grandsons, according to a 2011 article in the Omaha World-Herald — Filippi cemented her iconic status as “Dancing Grandma” and had been a staple of the gameday experience ever since.

Yes, iconic.

Over the years, she appeared in several pre-taped video segments to pump up the crowd, served as a guest judge in the Slam Dunk Contest at Bluejay Madness, appeared on ESPN during multiple telecasts, posed for countless photos with players and fans, was turned into an animated GIF and ranked #16 on a 2014 Buzzfeed list of “Reasons Why You’re About to Fall In Love with the Creighton Bluejays”, and even has a section devoted to her under “Gameday Traditions” on the Creighton Basketball Wikipedia page. (True story.)

One of those videos was a Monty-Python style riff on “Gangnam Style”:

While another featured then-point guard Antoine Young dribbling faster and faster to get the crowd clapping in unison during a timeout…followed by unexpected orders to “Make some noise!” by Filippi at the end:

And who can forget her appearance at the end of this one?

Upon news of her passing, head coach Greg McDermott tweeted, “We lost a wonderful woman today. Blessed to call her my friend. #RIP”. It’s a sentiment shared by Creighton fans everywhere; here’s some of the outpouring of support they’ve shared on Twitter on Monday:

 

Filippi’s late husband John passed away in 1996; she is survived by her three children, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are pending.

*****

In 2011, NET produced a short feature on Filippi that aired during halftime of a Bluejay game, and we can think of no better way to remember Mary Ann Filippi than by letting her tell the story in her own words.

Rest in peace, “Dancing Grandma.”

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