Edward Erwin Fast

Dr. Edward E. Fast (Ed) was born on June 15th, 1927 near Lebret, Saskatchewan. He was the 4th-oldest son of Isaac and Elisabeth Luise (nee Mielke) Fast, recent Mennonite immigrants from Russia. The family soon moved to Manitoba where Ed’s father taught school and farmed.

The “Dirty Thirties” meant that times were bleak. By the time that Ed was 7 years of age, he had lost both his mother and only sister to heart failure. At age 13, Ed also lost his father, who froze to death in a blizzard near Niverville. He was then raised by a kind but stern stepmother.

With the help of a generous neighbour, the family was able to purchase and work a 240 acre farm. After some 4 years on the farm, Ed decided to complete his high school studies at Mennonite Collegiate Institute (MCI) in Gretna, Manitoba, where he graduated in 1948.

At the age of 16, Ed made the life-changing decision to follow Christ as his Lord and Saviour, and that commitment characterized the rest of his life here on earth. He was baptized in 1947 at the MB Church in Niverville. Under the guidance of many different godly leaders, Ed never wavered in this Christian faith.

In 1951, after a year of “Permit Teaching” at Carman, Manitoba, Ed registered for science studies at the University of Manitoba, and after completing his 3rd year of pre-med there, opted to study dentistry at the University of Toronto, graduating in May of 1955.

Ed married his sweetheart, Helene Schulz, on September 4, 1954. He had met Helene several years earlier in Winnipeg but was intent on first completing his studies. Secretly, he had hoped that she would still be available when he returned to Winnipeg. God was gracious to him and kept this virtuous and gifted woman to be his partner for life.

After their wedding, Ed and Helene moved to Toronto and thoroughly enjoyed their first year of marriage. They soon received the news that Helene was expecting their first child. She returned to Winnipeg, where their first son, Edward Daniel, was born on June 18, 1955 while Ed was in British Columbia qualifying to practice dentistry there. Seven more children (Paul, Marie-Louise, Leona, Charlotte, Ingrid, Walter and Hildegarde) were to follow.

After the birth of their first son, Ed and Helene moved their family to Vancouver, where Ed had already found office space on Main Street and 49th Ave. He practiced dentistry there until 1959, when he moved his practice to Cambie and 41st Ave. In 1979, he again moved his practice, this time to the Fairmont Building on Broadway. In 1988, Edward and Helene moved to Abbotsford for semi-retirement.

Over the years, Ed and Helene’s family found a spiritual home at the Vancouver MB Church, and later at the Culloden MB Church. Under the leadership of godly pastors and teachers, the Fast family experienced golden years during which both parents and children were nurtured in their faith. Ed was deeply involved in church leadership as council member, recording secretary and the Saturday German language school. During their retirement years, Ed and Helene also found spiritual nourishment at the King Road Church in Abbotsford.

In 2015, Ed and Helene celebrated their 60th diamond anniversary, and in 2017 their 90th birthdays. On April 11, 2020, Helene passed away.

Ed spent the last few years of his life being lovingly cared for by his family and by the staff at Menno Terrace East in Abbotsford. He leaves behind his children Ed (Annette), Paul (Ruth), Marie-Louise (Johannes), Leona (Reinhard), Ingrid (Eduard), Charlotte (John), Walter (Anne), Hildegarde (Beatie), 35 grandchildren and spouses, and 109 great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 1:30pm on Saturday, November 2, 2024 at King Road Church, 32068 King Rd, Abbotsford, BC. Donations in memory of Edward E. Fast can be made to Hannah Family Support Society, 1672 W. 1st Ave., Vancouver, BC V6J 1G1

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” Philippians 4:4