Both on the clock and off, Bernard Farstad was always looking to have a good time in life.
His fun-loving spirit touched his customers and those who worked for him at the Pearle Vision store he ran with his wife, Barbara, for 15 years in St. Paul's Highland Park neighborhood.
With the help of his wife, Farstad bought the store on Ford Parkway in 1988 and within a year turned the struggling outlet into a thriving business. Pearle Vision recognized his hard work with a National Paragon Award, given to retailers who show sales growth, offer quality products and exceptional service. Farstad also developed lasting friendships with his customers and reached out to senior citizens who often dropped by just to chat, said his son Dominic, of Minneapolis.
"He had a fan base," said Loren Jones, who worked at Farstad's store for nearly nine years. "They'd come in and ask for him, and if he wasn't in they'd come back another time. He was the most kindhearted man you could ever know. Customers loved him."
Farstad sold the store in 2003 when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. He died of the illness last Sunday at Golden Living Center in St. Louis Park. He was 66.
From his days growing up in Argyle, Minn., and attending Kennedy (Minn.) High School, where he was nicknamed Buster and was all-conference in football, Farstad liked to have a good time. "He could brighten up a room with his smile and personality," longtime friend Lynn Rynning said.
Farstad attended North Dakota State University, then headed to the Twin Cities, where he got a job as an optician. He worked at various places and eventually made his way to Walman Optical. He sold instruments and equipment to optical outlets from Baltimore to Boise, Idaho, for the Minneapolis-based wholesaler, his wife said.
There was seldom a day that Farstad reported to work and didn't bring levity, employees said.
"He always had a smile on his face, and his jokes were hilarious," said Brooke Hawley, who worked for Farstad for three summers when she was a college student.
Farstad was a diehard University of Minnesota hockey fan, and loved going to Vikings games and on fishing trips to Canada, his wife said. In later years, he got the travel bug and partook in adventures in nearly every corner of the Earth, including downhill skiing in Austria, going to carnival in Trinidad and taking a trip to the Amazon, Barbara Farstad said.
Farstad coached youth soccer and hockey teams in New Hope. He also enjoyed music, dancing and telling stories, family members said.
"His favorite saying was, 'You can't beat fun for a good time,' " his son said. "He wanted to enjoy himself and have everybody around him enjoy themselves. He always had a story to keep people amused."
In addition to his wife and son Dominic, he is survived by another son, Benjamin, of Minneapolis; his mother, Alice, of Northwood, N.D., and a first wife, Jane Hilary, of Brooklyn Park.
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Dec. 6 at the St. Paul College Club, 990 Summit Av.
