Duane Fast, Former Foundation for Physical Therapy Research Trustee Passes at 76

Duane Fast, a longtime donor, champion, and former Trustee of the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research, passed away on May 29, 2019, surrounded by his wife Sandra and his family. Fast, of Valley City, North Dakota, was vice president of Tri W-G. A funeral service will be held at 10am on June 8, 2019 at First Baptist Church, 3511 Kathryn Rd S, Valley City, ND, with a viewing from 9am – 10am.

Duty, reliability, support, and respect — all qualities that Fast held in high esteem and embodied in his family life, service to the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research, and to the physical therapy profession.

Fast’s dedication to the Foundation began in the early 1990s. He strongly believed in the Foundation and continued to be a proponent long after the 11 years that he served on the Board of Trustees. “As an avid supporter and enthusiastic advocate, Duane often championed — to friends, his fellow exhibitors at APTA conferences, and strangers alike — the power that physical therapy research had in improving the quality of life for many,” said Foundation President Edelle Field-Fote, PT, PhD, FAPTA.

In 2002 Fast received the Charles M. Magistro Distinguished Service Award — named for the first president and chair of the Foundation — for his outstanding service and personal commitment toward promoting the Foundation’s goals. His commitment to the Foundation never wavered through the years, and he sought numerous ways to provide support. He also served as a member of the Financial Advisory Committee and of the Industry Advisory Committee.

Fast and his wife are recognized for their personal support of the Foundation as members of the President’s Circle. He also promoted corporate giving and through Tri W-G, which has supported the Foundation with nearly $350,000, in cumulative gifts over 3 decades. In 2008, Fast accepted the first ever corporate Premier Partner in Research Award bestowed on Tri W-G in recognition of substantial contributions critical to the success of the Foundation and its mission.

It will be difficult to imagine that he is no longer with us. We are heavy-hearted to think that we will no longer see his face light up as he spoke about the profession and how we, as a collective, can and should help steer it toward a brighter future.

We hold strong, however, in our belief that we will continue to commemorate his life through our work in funding research for the profession he deeply cared about. We mourn his loss. His legacy will live on through his loved ones and through the work he made possible.