WILTON — When Bob Fast passed away in Wilton on Monday, Feb. 27, his family thought it might be another one of his false alarms and asked for a second opinion.

Bob was a nerd before being a nerd was cool. He was born in Woodbury, N.J., on Sept. 10, 1932, to Fred L. and Helen (Justice) Fast. He was accepted to the University of Chicago when he was 16, but his parents forbade it. He went on to be the class valedictorian at Pitman High School in New Jersey.

Being a gentleman farmer was much more to his liking, anyway, so he ran the family’s 154-acre peach orchard while in high school, raised black Angus beef, and sold his tomatoes in Philadelphia to Campbell’s. He saved enough money from his farm to build his first house in Woodstown, N.J. He also put himself through Princeton University, graduating in 1954. After a brief stint in the Army, he went on to receive his master’s and doctorate degrees from Rutgers University and, in spite of better-paying job offers in New York City, pursued a career in education. He started out as a science teacher at Woodstown High School, became the guidance counselor, and later became the dean of students at Glassboro State College (now Rowan). A highlight of his tenure at Glassboro was helping with the Johnson-Kosygin talks in 1967.

Bob and his young family, which included Bob Jr. and Linda, moved to Maine in 1967 to be closer to his brother David and their parents, all of whom had the good sense to move to Maine years earlier. He was a psychology professor at the University of Maine at Farmington for 30 years, retiring as professor emeritus in 1997. He ran the national student exchange program for many years and was noted for his dedication to his students.

In 1974, he met Kim (Temple) and a 40-year romance ensued. They were married in 1983 and had two children, Hilary and Meredith. Kim, the four children (Robert Jr. and wife, Denise; Linda and husband, Rob Jodrie; Hilary and husband, Doug Mangi; Meredith Fast) and granddaughters, Meghan and Sarah Jodrie were the center of his universe and he theirs. He is also survived by his nephew, Scott Fast and his wife, Cathy, and their family.

Bob was a voracious reader, having read the complete works of Shakespeare and all seven Harry Potter books. He generally didn’t read much of anything current, vowing instead to read every book in his grandfather’s library during his retirement. Mystery was his favorite genre, and he was also a history buff. He loved a double-malt scotch, an occasional fine cigar, and a seat at the bridge table. He wore wool socks year-round and anyone who made the mistake of commenting got a science lecture on the moisture-absorbing properties of wool. He thought it only right and proper to tuck in his sweatshirts lest he appear slovenly.

Bob was a member of the First Congregational Church in Wilton. He volunteered his time to many local causes including the library and the Wilton Parents Association and became legendary for making omelettes to order at teacher breakfasts. He was a member of the Wilton Lions Club, where volunteering for the Special Olympics became near and dear to his heart.

He gave new meaning to the phrase, “dance like nobody’s watching.” His own mother wondered aloud about his two left feet.

He and Kim loved going to the theater together and traveling, most recently to Iceland and Norway, the land of his ancestors. Like any self-respecting Viking, he loved to fish, and his favorite place was Big Gull Lake in Ontario, Canada, where he spent most summers from the time he was 6 years old until the year before he left us. Bob was dubbed an honorary Canadian by his dear friends of Gull Lake.

He had a great sense of humor, but was most humorous when he wasn’t trying to be. His genius was his ability to read something once and remember it forever. Ironically, he was also the original absent-minded professor, but he was a man of his word and sought to find the good in everyone he knew.

When asked if there was anything he would like to have said about him, he responded simply, “I tried …”

Bob’s adoring family would like to thank Dr. Heidi Decker, Dr. Richard Batstone, the devoted team at Androscoggin Hospice, and Dr. Dror Michaelson and Kara Olivieri of Massachusetts General Hospital for maintaining his shelf-life and keeping him well past his expiration date.

Condolences may be sent for the family at www.adamsmcfarlane.com.

Robert E. Fast Sr.