RIP: TV Editor James Faris dies at 97
James Faris
Jan. 8, 1919 - Oct. 14, 2016
Santa Cruz
James (Jim) Earl Faris passed away peacefully on October 14, 2016. He spent the final days of his life surrounded by family.
Jim was born to Sarah Hale and Edgar Faris in Kansas City, Missouri on January 8, 1919.
Jim moved to Los Angeles in 1943 where he began his career in the film industry at MGM. Initially Jim worked on movies including Gaslight, National Velvet, and, much later, in 1981, on Taps. In the mid forties Jim became the editor for Tom & Jerry cartoons where he met Paula Forbes. They married on June 6th, 1948.
After Tom & Jerry, Jim was the editor on Ozzie & Harriet, 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye, Combat, Shane and Lawman (he also directed an episode of Lawman). He worked for eight years with Aaron Spelling on Charlie's Angels, Chips, Family and Dynasty. An extended filmography of Jim's work can be found on IMDB.com.
Jim and Paula retired to Santa Cruz in 1983. Jim was one of five founding members of UCSC Lifelong Learners, which now has more than 600 members and 60 interest groups. Jim and Paula hosted a film seminar group in their home for almost 30 years.
Jim is survived by his wife Paula and his children Jim (Natasha), a graphic designer in Mountain View, Brian (Catherine), a general contractor in Santa Cruz, and Valerie (Jonathan), a film director in Los Angeles. He is also survived by seven grandchildren, Stephen Faris, Benjamin Faris, Sarah Faris Peters, Francesca Faris, Augusta Dayton, Everett Dayton and James Dayton.
Jim was especially fond of a quotation from the title character in the movie Breaker Morant, "Live every day as if it were going to be your last; for one day you're sure to be right," though he preferred to say it another way: "Live each day as if you are never going to die and one day you'll be wrong!"
There will be a celebration of Jim's life at 3pm on November 25, 2016 at the Pacific Cultural Center, 1307 Seabright Avenue, Santa Cruz. In lieu of flowers, the family ask that donations be made in Jim's name to the Silvia Miller Scholarship Fund of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UCSC.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/santacruzsentinel/obituary.aspx?n=James-Faris&pid=182302661