David Spencer Fast passed away peacefully on February 22nd, surrounded by loved ones. Born on October 19, 1941 in Atchison, Kansas, David was the son of William Spencer and Jane Poindexter Fast. He spent his early years in Atchison before graduating from Shattuck School (1959), Pomona College (1963) and Wharton Graduate School (1967). He proudly served in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps from 1963-1965 and was stationed in Germany where he was commander of a field ambulance company.
He found love for the first time with Patricia Jane Harper, whom he married on January 2, 1967. Upon his graduation from Wharton, the new couple moved to Winston-Salem, NC where he began his career as a municipal bond trader with Wachovia Bank & Trust. Their two children, Spencer Alan and Erin McHugh, were born in Winston-Salem. They also had a brief stint in Richmond, VA before settling as a family in Basking Ridge, NJ, in 1976. In Basking Ridge, David joined his friend Brian Rogers to continue trading municipal bonds with Rogers & Lamb. When the firm closed in 1989, David found an opportunity to return to the Midwest, first with Commerce Bank and later with the newly opened First Tennessee Capital Markets in Overland Park, Kansas, where he traded and underwrote municipal bonds for the final 12 years of his career. He found joy in his close work with the sales staffs in the Chicago, Dallas, and Memphis offices while there as well.
David lost Pat to brain cancer in 2002 after 35 happy years together. He felt fortunate to find love a second time with Jeannine Allen Fortin, whom he married in 2003. His family expanded greatly with this union, as Jeannine had four grown children of her own.
David retired in 2006 but never slowed down. He enjoyed many rounds of golf with friends and family, and he followed most sporting events, especially those involving the Jayhawks. He and Jeannine also traveled frequently to see their children and grandchildren, to visit friends and favorite locales (oceans and deserts) in the U.S., and even to take an occasional overseas trip. Above all, David treasured the time spent with each of his 16 grandchildren, plugging into their busy daily lives, attending their activities near or far, and prizing the one-on-one conversations they so often shared.
One cannot have known David without knowing his ability to connect with others. He formed community everywhere he went, starting with his beginnings in Atchison, continuing through his educational and work careers as he developed many friendships along the way, and ending with the blended family of 29 who grieves at his passing and celebrates the many shared memories we will carry with us.
We are all better having had David in our lives, with his easy and authentic presence, his genuine interest in us all, his curiosity, his wise counsel (often delivered in few words), and his ability to talk about virtually any topic from history to bond markets to sports to princesses. And of course his eagerness to enjoy a Moosehead beer or two with us.
David was predeceased by his first wife Pat, his parents, and his sister, Victoria Smith. He is survived by his brother, Kirk (Margaret) of Ozawkie, KS; his wife, Jeannine; and his children and grandchildren: Spencer Fast (Katie) and daughters Sophie and Sara; Erin Fast Kopf (John) and children Anna, Owen, and Ian; Kevin Fortin (Brigetta) and children Chase, Layne, and Ava; Brian Fortin (Jen Cullen) and daughters Raven and Lily; Tim Fortin (Jenn) and daughters Renee, Sofia, and Caroline; Kim Fortin Gordon (Brian) and daughters Isabelle, Adrienne, and Avery; and nephews Christian and Benjamin Fast. He is also survived by the many treasured friends near and far who were like family to him.
Memorial Mass, 12:00 Noon, Thursday, February 25, 2021 at Cure’ of Ars Catholic Church, 9405 Mission Road, Leawood, KS., 66206 Visitation will be from 10:30 until service time at the church.
Memorial contributions may be made to the University of Kansas Cancer Center (High Risk Prostate Cancer Prevention Program), 2330 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Suite 305, Westwood, KS 66205 (https://www.kansashealthsystem.com/giving/donate)