The star of DIY Network’s
Troy Dean Shafer, who appeared on the TV series beginning in 2016, died on April 28, the Erie County Coroner’s Office confirms. His cause of death is not yet available, but a toxicology report is expected in the next few weeks.
A representative for the network told PEOPLE in a statement, “The DIY Network family is sorry to hear about the passing of Troy Dean Shafer, a dedicated, driven entrepreneur and restoration expert who was admired by everyone who worked on the series
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According to TMZ, Troy’s brother Tim told the outlet he died in his sleep and had no known medical conditions, so his death came as a shock to his family. He was laid to rest last week, in a private ceremony.
Troy, a graduate of Penn State University, had moved from his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania, to Nashville 10 years ago to pursue dreams of country music stardom, according to a DIY Network biography. But his background in building and a talent for restoring homes found him starting a business flipping houses.
Many of the houses he works on are from the 1800s and early 1900s and Troy specializes in incorporating the character of their time through salvaged architectural elements.
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In a 2016 Instagram post he wrote of his experience working with HGTV (now part of Discovery Inc. alongside the DIY Network), “I continue to find myself so incredibly grateful for the opportunity provided to me (and my incredible team).”
He also starred in two pilot episodes for a show called
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