Troy Dean Shafer, Star of DIY Network's Nashville Flipped, Has Died at Age 38
The star of DIY Network’s Nashville Flipped has died at the age of 38, PEOPLE confirms.
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 Nashville Flipped. We continue to extend our deepest condolences to Troy’s family and friends during this difficult time.”
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Channeling my inner @joannagaines #shiplap #island @diynetwork @hgtv
A post shared by Troy Dean Shafer (@nashvilleflipped) on May 11, 2017 at 8:19pm PDT
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.
A post shared by Troy Dean Shafer (@nashvilleflipped) on May 4, 2017 at 5:51pm PDT
Nashville Flipped follows Troy, his wife Becky, and his team of construction managers as they give new life to run-down properties, complete sensitive restorations and create custom designs for the owners of historic Tennessee homes.
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.
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 Restoring Nashville on DIY, which aired in October 2018.
Nashville Flipped premiered in 2016 and has completed two seasons. Season 2 premiered in June 2017. It next airs on DIY Network on Tuesday, May 21 at 7 AM.
