Childersburg, AL - James Earl "Jim" Fazekas, age 90, died on March 15, 2023 at home in Childersburg. He was born on January 2, 1933 to parents, George and Catherine (Dooley) Fazekas. In May 1951, he graduated from Clearview High School in Lorain, Ohio, where he was very active in sports, lettering in basketball, baseball and track. He enlisted in the Air Force on December 4, 1951, where he had a top secret clearance as he was trained in atomic bomb armament. During his four years in the Air Force, his tour of duty included Korea, Okinawa, and Formosa. On December 5, 1953, he married his high school sweetheart, Janet Bryner, and they had a long and happy marriage of almost 70 years together. After discharge from the Air Force, he attended Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio and San Bernardino Community College. In 1995 he retired as the batchman from Lone Star Concrete in Longview, Washington, sold their house, bought a RV and traveled throughout the United States, eventually settling in Alabama in 1996. He enjoyed 28 years of retirement keeping busy with genealogy research and doing oral history interviews of older southern folks who had many interesting stories to tell. Woodworking was his hobby and he made many beautiful bowls from local wood and gave most of them away as gifts to family and friends.
He is survived by his wife, Janet of Childersburg; brother, John of Lorain, Ohio; son, Thomas of Grapevine, Texas; daughter, Susan (Todd) Sears of Granite Falls, Washington; and granddaughter, Charlotte Ann Goebel of Yelm, Washington.
Funeral service for Mr. Fazekas will be held at the Alpine Baptist Church on Saturday, March 18, 2023 with viewing at 11:00 a.m., one hour before the 12 o'clock service, with interment at Brownville Cemetery in Clay County. Pastor Dylan Rigg and Rev. Pete McElrath will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Midway School Historical Association, 112 11th Avenue, Alexander City, Alabama 35010.
Memorial messages may be sent to the family at www.dignitymemorial.com/funeral-homes/sylacauga-al/radney-smith-funeral-home/8516.
Radney-Smith Funeral Home in Sylacauga, AL will direct the services.
