Lloyd Holzgraf died November 11 in his Montecito, California home at the age of 70. For 38 years he served as organist at First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, where he was responsible for the design of the great organ of 346 ranks, 265 stops, and 20,000 pipes. In addition to playing for worship services, Holzgraf also performed at the annual Los Angeles Bach Festival, created by the church in 1934, on the church's annual concert series, and demonstrated the organ for hundreds of groups of school children. He also established free twice-weekly, half-hour noon-time concerts and performed more than 2,300 of them. Holzgraf retired from the church in 1997. He also served as organist for Temple Israel in Long Beach for 44 years. Born in Santa Ana, Holzgraf began playing his church's organ at age 11, and studied with Ralph Travis and Clarence Mader. Appointed to First Congregational Church in 1959, he worked with Mader, Herman Schlicker and others over the years, including curator Richard Muench, to expand the original 1932 58-rank E.M. Skinner organ. With a series of fund raisers, they enlarged the organ, including the addition of Muench's personal collection of pipes after his death, and 25 ranks from Highland Park United Presbyterian Church. In 1984, in observance of Holzgraf's 25th anniversary at First Congregational, church trustees added the Holzgraf Royal Trumpets. He is survived by his partner of 33 years, Malcolm Bosma, and a sister, Helen Berger. A memorial service was held on November 24 at First Congregational Church.
