Darrell Fasching

Darrell J. Fasching, Ph.D., 72, Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at the University of South Florida, passed away on March 1. He was born in Green Cove Springs, Florida but grew up in Waconia, Minnesota. After serving in the US Navy, he earned his B.A. degree in Philosophy from the University of Minnesota, and went on to receive his M.A. and Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Syracuse University. While in Syracuse, he served as the Assistant Dean of Hendricks Chapel at Syracuse University. In 1982 he joined the Religious Studies faculty of the University of South Florida in Tampa. During his tenure there, he served as Department Chair, and also as Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Letters. A noted scholar in the field of Ethics, Religion and Post-Holocaust Theology, Dr. Fasching authored numerous articles and books, including “Narrative Theology After Auschwitz,” “The Ethical Challenge of Auschwitz and Hiroshima,” “No One Left Behind,” “Comparative Religious Ethics,” and “Religion and Globalization.” Dr. Fasching was a member of All Saints Lutheran Church in Lutz for 35 years and served as Deacon there. A devoted husband and brother, he is survived by his wife of 43 years, Laura Gushin; his sisters and brothers-in-law, Donna and Dr. Paul Blackburn and Denise and Seon Anderson; and his brother and sister-in-law, Daniel and Patty Fasching. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Darrell J. Fasching Religious Studies Graduate Student Scholarship Fund at the University of South Florida or to Lost Angels Animal Rescue in Tampa, Florida. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, March 7, at 11:00 a.m. at All Saints Lutheran Church, 5315 Van Dyke Road, Lutz. Condolences may be expressed online at segalfuneralhome.com.