Longtime Dutchess County resident, and legendary actor, James Earl Jones passes away at 93

He’d roll down his car window and wave to all of the neighborhood kids while driving through the village. He’d talk to everyone at the grocery store. He attended regular events at his son’s school – Poughkeepsie Day – like every other parent, regardless of the fact that he also happened to be the voice of Darth Vader, Mufasa and so many other iconic characters of our time.

Longtime Dutchess County resident, and the notorious stage and screen actor with a booming voice and beaming smile, James Earl Jones, passed away at his home in Pawling on Monday, September 9, 2024 at the age of 93 from natural causes.

Born January 17, 1931, Jones moved to the Hudson Valley in 1970 after falling in love with the area’s “big trees…big enough to hug” during a road trip with a friend.

“A very present and involved member of the community,” in 2000, James and his wife, the late Cecilia Hart funded the construction of the 300-seat James Earl Jones Theater at Poughkeepsie Day School.

In 2016, James Earl Jones narrated a video in support of the Friends of The Great Swamp, an advocacy group for one of the largest freshwater wetlands in the state, located in eastern Dutchess County: https://frogs-ny.org/friends-of-the-great-swamp-highlight-video-2016/.

A private family ceremony will be held at a future date with arrangements under the direction of Horn & Thomes, Inc Funeral Home in Pawling.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in his honor be made to: Hudson Valley Hospice: https://www.hvhospice.org/index.php.foundation/donate/ or the Actor’s Fund: https://actorsfundhome.org

If you have any stories or interactions with James Earl Jones, please feel free to comment below.

Pictured, top: James Earl Jones during the swearing-in ceremony of his longtime friend, the late Adrian “Butch” Anderson as Dutchess County Sheriff in December of 2011. Photos by niki@hvny.info

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