Sad news. I always wondered the origin of the name "The Faa". Very unusual. Anyone know?

Sad to hear this. Jersey City (especially the school age kids) lost a good man. RIP, Faa.

Wow, I didn't even know he was still alive, I remember a long while ago, he was ill and thats the last I remember hearing about him. I guess not reading the local papers means you lose touch with the writers, duh. Great guy - as everyone will attest to - shame to hear about his passing. Will there be a public memorial of any kind?

From NJ.com

Ed Ford, the long-time sports columnist for The Jersey Journal and a larger-than-life figure in Hudson County, died today.

Ford, known everywhere as "The Faa," was an assistant director with the Jersey City Department of Recreation after a colorful career as a high school baseball coach, referee, Major League Baseball scout and bar owner.

"He had a heart of gold," said Billy Blitzer, a scout with the Chicago Cubs. "He was great not only for the game but for the kids of Jersey City. He helped many 100s of kids throughout the years -- putting kids through school or buying equipment when they could afford it."

Ford, 66, with his trademark wad of tobacco in his jaw, was a fixture at local sporting events. He was a champion of local athletics and used the power of his popular column -- Faa's Corner -- to advocate for more funding for recreation for kids.

"I will miss him, Jersey City will miss him and most of all, the kids will miss him," said Tom Lalicato, long-time basketball head coach of St. Mary's High in Jersey City. " Ed and I go a long way back and share a common love for Jersey City and a common love for sports."

By the time Ford began his writing career in the early 1980s with The Hudson Dispatch, he was already a legend in Jersey City sports circle. As a basketball referee he once ejected a cheerleader for stepping onto the court one too many times.

The Faa was both friend and foe to coaches, athletic directors and politicians alike. He rubbed elbows with grounds crews at dusty baseball fields and the elite of college coaches like Dean Smith and Roy Williams of North Carolina.

"He's really an institution in Jersey City and Hudson County," Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy said. "He covered the entire range of sports, but I guess you could say basketball and baseball were his biggest ones. Any Jersey City or Hudson County game you went to, chances are you would run into Ed."

Ford had battled a series of illnesses over the past few years, friends said.