James Earl Jones never planned to settle in Pawling, N.Y., where he lived for half a century and ultimately passed away.
The acclaimed actor died at 93 on Monday, August 9, at his home in the small town, about 70 miles north of New York City, as confirmed by his agent to PEOPLE.
Originally from Arkabutla, Miss., Jones resided in Pawling for over 50 years. He bought a property there in the 1970s after a serendipitous visit with a friend.
According to a 2012 profile by the Poughkeepsie Journal, Jones first visited the area when a friend from New Jersey, who was searching for a larger home, invited him on a road trip Upstate to look at properties.
While the friend did not purchase the land he was considering, Jones did.
"I liked it," Jones told the outlet, admiring the "big trees ... they were big enough to hug."
He established roots in the area, maintaining a home there for the next 50 years until his death. (He also owned a home in Los Angeles, according to the New York Times.) During this time, he raised his son, Flynn, in Pawling and began acquiring adjacent properties to his original plot, eventually amassing 10 lots, according to Realtor.com.
Records obtained by the site show some of Jones's purchases included a property sold for $16,500 in 1993; two in 1994, for $108,000 and $177,500; and another for $320,000 in 2000.
But Jones wasn't just investing in real estate; he also contributed to the small community of just under 2,000 residents.
The Journal notes that he was involved in fundraising for his son's alma mater, Poughkeepsie Day School, and participated in the Young Playwrights Festival at Bardavon 1869 Opera House.
A former Dutchess County official who knew Jones remembered him fondly in an obituary published by midhudsonnews.com.
“Yes, he was a celebrity, but he was the most genuine person you would ever want to meet. There was nothing phony about the man," Pawling native Dave Gamache told the outlet. "He loved Pawling, he really loved Pawling, and he loved the people. He was active in the community."
Despite his star status, Gamache added, he was “just as nice and wonderful and kind a person as he was at the top of his profession.”
Jones is best known for his roles as Darth Vader in the Star Wars films and Mufasa in The Lion King. In recent years, he starred in productions of On Golden Pond, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Much Ado About Nothing, alongside Vanessa Redgrave. In 2012, Jones earned his fourth Tony nomination for The Best Man.
Throughout his decades-long career, he never lost his passion for storytelling.
“I’d like to play anything that gives me a chance to learn about people who are truly different from me,” he once told PEOPLE. “I want to say as much as possible about how I feel about myself — not my Black self or my American self, but my real self.”
