Jason Earnest Zavoda Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Paul Stormberg posted this earlier tonight. I had not heard from Jason in nearly a month, we talked every few weeks or so but he had been disappearing more and more lately due to constant health issues.

I first met Jason on AOL Online in the early 90s, we both bought, sold and traded RPG stuff in the old AOL forums and so we got to know each other. He owned a comic store at the time and so we had a few things in common. We talked regularly through AOL and then on the old newsgroups for Greyhawk and other games,  and then lost touch for a few years, until finally hooking up again here at the Acaeum when he joined in about 2007 or so. We talked a lot over the years and he was funny but very opinionated about certain subjects, which caused him to rub some people the wrong way, but we always seemed to get along. We had one argument over the past three decades and it was about him never learning how to ship internationally,  I said it was easy he said it was too difficult, I think we didn't talk for a couple of years afterwards, LOL.  He was very excited about NTRPG con and Doug paid for him to fly here for the very first convention because Jason couldn't afford it, it was great to finally meet him in person after so many years knowing him online. I think that might have been the last time he ever travelled to a convention, and he often told me what a great time he had.

Jason love the World of Greyhawk setting and was an amazing scholar of that land. He loved old school gaming, was a dedicated RPG collector, and was especially interested in convention releases, I know over the years he collected a lot of NTRPG con memorabilia, I hope it finds a good home.

Jason had Type I diabetes and had constant health issues the last decade or so of his life. A few years back he stepped on some glass at his house, never noticed the wound, and it got infected. After a long battle, he lost his foot and then his leg, and then one of his eyes. Through all this he never stopped collecting, selling, or playing RPGs. He told me had had forced himself to learn 5E because that's all his relatives would play, LOL. He never complained too much about his physical issues and when we talked it was always about collecting or old school gaming. He had some great stories about being a bouncer at a bar back in the old days, and owning comic/game stores. I will really miss him, it sucks he wasn't able to travel the last decade or so of his life, he would have loved to attend more conventions.

Mike B.

Sad to see.  We had many good conversations over the years.  He will be missed.

That’s sad to hear, RIP Jason

It was my privilege to have met Jason through this forum. He was indeed a great guy and talking RPGs with him was always great. He was a true enthusiast of our hobby and a wealth of knowledge. More than anything else he was genuine. I met him in-person at the first North Texas RPG Con and we had several meals together. I am pretty sure I have a picture of him from that convention and I’ll add it here later this weekend (I’m away from home ATM). Jason was one of those early pioneers on this site and his passing is a loss for us all. God’s speed, my friend.

I didn't know Jason well, but he was a constant and valued contributor during the formative years of this site.  And many a time on the old newsgroups he and I would have massive bidding wars, sometimes clearing a hundred dollars on especially rare items.    This has been an especially tough year on the Acaeum membership, unfortunately trending because we're all getting older.  RIP Jason, we'll miss you.

Foul

RIP Jason.  I hope you can travel now.

Martin Britt

Rest in peace.

And thank you for posting these. So much history I am unaware of.

Despite growing up nearby (Jason in DE and me in South Jersey) and attending many of the same conventions (including GenCon East 2), I didn’t meet Jason in person until NTX #1.

Paul Stormberg and I chatted a bit this afternoon about building a memento for Jason and/or an Oerth Journal tribute, as well as a collection of his works. I pinged Kristoph at GreyhawkOnline to see about hosting something there.  

For those who may also be members of the Sages of Greyhawk Facebook group, Carlos Lising posted a very nice tribute to Jason at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1471065 ... 7411189763

Allan.