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If you watched the premiere of NOS4A2 tonight, you may have noticed that the series premiere was dedicated in memory of James “Faz” LaFazia. Who was he and how did he die? Do we know what happened to him?
James “Faz” Robert LaFazia worked on NOS4A2 and Hulu’s recently aired series Castle Rock, inspired by the works of Stephen King, Vulture noted. LaFazia’s obituary shared that he died on January 18, 2019. He passed away at Kent Hospital. In addition to Castle Rock and NOS4A2, he also worked in the set construction and grip departments for Brotherhood and Moonrise Kingdom. According to his IMDB page, he also worked as a tool man on Sex Tape and as a carpenter on Hachi: A Dog’s Tale.
LaFazia only recently passed away in January 2019. Numerous messages were left about what a wonderful man he was, how great he was to work with, and how deeply he will be missed. However, the cause of his death was not shared by his friends, family, or his obituary. So it’s not known how he died, only that it was recently and he is greatly missed.
He was a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 481 and was deeply involved in the film and television production community of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. LaFazia was 60 when he died.
LaFazia leaves behind three brothers: Donald LaFazia of Oklahoma, Thomas LaFazia of South Kingstown, and Frank LaFazia of Warwick, and a sister Donna Miller of Warwick. He also left behind nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. His siblings Beverly Ann Wilson and John LaFazia passed away before him.
LaFazia will be greatly missed. Friends Gail and Terry Farrell wrote on his obituary’s guestbook: “We have shared many happy events with Jim and friends in common. History dates back 50 years, with lots of smiles/laughs.”
You can learn a lot about LaFazia from the messages left by those who loved him.
A friend who cared deeply for James left a long message, noting that he once went by Jimmy and then by Faz, but most recently preferred to be called James. His friend Geoff Adams wrote, in part: “He was a music lover and he knew musicians. He inspired me and others to appreciate Bowie and Rundgren… For about 20 more years, James was on my crew handling lighting and grip, and mostly, providing laughs. Oh, did we laugh! James was a loyal and diligent worker. He carved out a long career in film and television production – always in demand, always working… He had a background in house painting and that led him into the set construction specialty which has been his main gig for about the last 20 years. … James was great fun to be around and he lived enthusiastically! He took pleasure in everything. He had an amazing memory! James was a great buddy because he was game to try anything. … His laugh and his smile are etched in my mind. Oh, he could complain – James was sweet and sour. But he never took things too seriously which is what won me over when I met him, and it’s what I will always remember about him.”
Friend Brian McKenzie shared a heartbroken post on Facebook in January: “Jim ‘Faz’ LaFazia was one of my very favorite people to work with. You always knew that if you saw him on start day of any movie job, it was going to be a fun show. Always a buster, always laughing, always asking about my family, just a genuine, awesome guy with a big, big heart. One of the good ones.”
Friends Jim and Jane Rooney wrote: “My wife and myself spent many a night playing marathon games of Scrabble and listening to music and sharing some brews with Jim and some of his friends of that era. I still remember his bright orange Datsun 240-Z, he loved that car…”
LaFazia will be greatly missed by his family and friends.
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‘NOS4A2’: Who Is James ‘Faz’ LaFazia?