Obituary of David Fast

David Fast passed away peacefully with family by his side at Gracepointe Crossing West on May 24th, 2010, after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson's Disease. Dave and his family have been surrounded by the wonderful love and support of family and friends. Dave was a kind and devoted son, husband, father, grandpa, friend, and teacher and will be deeply missed. Dave was born August 12, 1934 in Thief River Falls, MN, to David and Judith (Bergland) Fast. He grew up in Thief River Falls and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1952. He was active in Boy Scouts, school, and church activities. He graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1956. On August 8th, 1959 Dave married Marlys Flink, and they were blessed with 50 years of marriage. In the fall of 1956 he came to Cambridge where he had accepted a position as a math teacher. Dave had never been in Cambridge before he arrived to teach. He spent the next thirty-five years teaching math at the Cambridge Junior and Senior High Schools until his retirement in 1992. He was the first person Anoka Ramsey Community College hired in Cambridge. He taught evening classes at the hospital classroom and in his high school room before the college had their own building. He continued to teach at the college until the end of 2004. Dave loved teaching and was so thankful that he could teach for 48 years. Besides being a wonderful teacher, Dave had a great love for learning and he pursued his own education further throughout his life. He attended Carleton and Oberlin Colleges and the Universities of Illinois and Connecticut on National Science Foundation grants. He graduated from the University of Illinois from which he earned a Masters degree in math education in 1968. He was a Bush Summer Fellow in 1974 at the University of Rhode Island. Dave was also involved in various education organizations such as the Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Dave was an active member of First Baptist Church, serving as a Sunday School Superintendant, Sunday School teacher, youth leader, Christian Service Brigade leader, on various boards and committees, and as a member of the choir. Dave loved many kinds of music and loved to sing, particularly songs that brought praise to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He loved attending his children's and grandchildren's concerts, games, and recitals, and playing tennis with his friends. Dave is survived by wife Marlys, son David (Kari) Fast of Grand Rapids, MI, daughter Andrea (Paul) Maltrud of Cambridge, and grandchildren Elizabeth, Amy, David, Erik, and Kathleen, sister Barbara (Jim) Steen of Duluth, cousins, nephews, nieces, and other family and many friends. Dave was preceded in death by his parents and infant son.