FAVIA, THOMAS J.

A mass of Christian burial was celebrated Oct. 6 at St. Vincent de Paul Church for Thomas J. “the Turk” Favia, 87, of Bayonne. He passed away peacefully on Sept. 28. Tom’s lifelong passions were his family, his time as head basketball coach at Ferris High School and his forty-five year association with the Jersey City Education Association (JCEA). An educator, coach and guidance counselor, Tom taught history at Ferris High School for fifteen years and later as a counselor for twenty years, helping to guide his students. Tom was an accomplished baseball player at Bayonne High School where he was twice selected All-State and was part of the 1949 team that won the first Group 4 State Championship in Bayonne High School history. But it is in basketball that Tom is most remembered, as the head coach at Ferris High School from 1966 to 1991. During that span, Ferris won five state sectional titles, three county titles and six south Hudson titles. Upon retiring from coaching in 1991, Tom had attained the most wins in Jersey City public school history and was eventually placed in the Hudson County Athletic Hall of Fame. Tom left Ferris to become President of JCEA after spending twenty-two years as the First Vice President under Lou Scialli. Tom was President of JCEA for twenty-three years and took great pride being able to represent the teachers of Jersey City, negotiating some of the best compensation and benefit packages in the state. Tom spent the little spare time he had volunteering, where he could be found in leadership positions in numerous organizations. He was President of the Hudson County Basketball Coaches Association, Treasurer of the Hudson County Umpires Association and President of the Bayonne Jay Cees. In 2005, he was awarded Man of the Year by the Dante Alighieri Society. A man of faith, Tom was a longtime parishioner of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Bayonne, where he also served as an usher. Tom was predeceased by his wife of fifty-seven years, Olympia (nee Capelli) Favia and his parents Tom and Rose. He is survived by his three children, Thomas Favia Jr. and wife Stephanie, Jeffrey Favia and Suzanne Favia and husband Bill; and his three grandchildren, Jordan, Ethan and Aidan. Also surviving Tom is his dog Duke. Services arranged by the McLaughlin Funeral Home, Jersey City.