Stanley Fafara Biography

Stanley Albert Fafara (September 20, 1949 – September 20, 2003) was an American actor, best known for his role as "Whitey" Whitney in the original Leave It to Beaver television series. He appeared in forty-two of the show's 234 episodes. His older brother, Tiger, played "Tooey Brown" in the series.

Early life and career

Fafara was born September 20, 1949 in San Francisco, California. By 1957, seven year-old Stanley Fafara's mother took him to an open casting call for a new television series about a suburban family entitled Leave It To Beaver. He had been working in commercials and television westerns since the age of four. He earned the part as "Whitey" Whitney, one of the lead character's best friends.

Stanley remained with Leave It To Beaver for six years. After the cancellation of Leave It To Beaver in 1963, Fafara attended North Hollywood High School. While there, he developed a liking for alcohol and soon learned how to use his fame to best advantage. He became friendly with the pop-rock band Paul Revere and the Raiders and reportedly moved in with the band for a time. He discovered hard drugs in the mid-1960s, an obsession that would remain with him for many years to come.

At his parents' insistence, Fafara attempted living with his sister in Jamaica, where he tried his hand at painting. However, he could not abstain from his drug use. He then returned to Los Angeles at age 22, where he married briefly. Fafara began supporting himself by dealing illegal drugs. He was later convicted of breaking into pharmacies and sentenced to a year in jail. After being incarcerated, Fafara tried his hand at being a roofer, waiter and janitor before descending back into drug use, particularly heroin. He was in and out of rehab centers for many years, eventually getting sober in 1995.

Later years

Fafara reportedly spent the final eight years of his life clean and sober, initially living in a house for recovering addicts and alcoholics, then in a subsidized apartment near Portland's "skid row", where he lived on Social Security checks of $475 per month until his hospitalization in 2003. He managed to turn his life around and finally conquered his addictions, without any relapses. However, he had already contracted hepatitis C.

Eventually Fafara re-established a relationship with a daughter he had not seen since she was six months old (she was 34 at the time of their reunion), and became close to his nephew, Coal Chamber and DevilDriver vocalist Dez Fafara, son of Tiger Fafara. He also kept in contact with other child actors who were in recovery, and helped fellow addicts to stay clean and sober. He started a business designing web sites, and was beginning to have some success. At the time of his death he had a flat in Portland's Mark Hatfield Building, an apartment complex created for people in recovery from addiction.

Death

Fafara died September 20, 2003, on his 54th birthday, in Portland, Oregon, of complications from hernia surgery. Stanley Fafara was given two funerals, and was buried at Redland Pioneer Cemetery, in Redland, Oregon. His grave is unmarked.