David Fais, Class of 1965

David Fais ’65 died April 17, 2021.  He was born on March 8, 1943 in Columbus, Ohio to the late Honorable G.W. and Ruth Fais. David was a graduate of Grandview Heights High School Class of 1960. He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Otterbein where he met his wife, Sandra Stemshorn Fais ‘65.

David earned his Juris Doctor Degree from Ohio Northern University. He was a graduate of the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada. The late Judge Fais’ career in public service began in 1969 upon graduating from Ohio Northern College of Law. He served first as Assistant City Attorney for the City of Columbus, and then as Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor. He went on to work for sixteen years in private practice, where his representation included service to the City of Grandview Heights as the Law Director. Judge Fais ascended to the bench in 1988, where he continued to serve for twenty-six years, including three terms as the Presiding Judge.

Judge Fais’ service extended beyond the court. He sat on the Professional Ethics Committee and the Admissions Committee for the Columbus Bar Association. He served as a trustee since 2002 for the Columbus Law Library; he served as a bar examiner for the State of Ohio Board of Bar Examiners and served on the Judicial Corrections Board. For many years, he has served on the Board of Directors for North Central Mental Health Services, Inc.

He was a longtime member of Charity Newsies and a member of both Ohio State and Columbus Bar Associations. He was a recipient of the “Judicial Excellence Award” in 1990-1991, presented by the Franklin County Trial Lawyers Association. In April 2015, he was awarded the Special Achievement Award presented by the Otterbein University Alumni Community. At the end of his judicial career, he served for five years as the Deputy Director of the Medical Board for the State of Ohio. He was extremely proud of his life-long legal career but, his most cherished treasures were his loving wife, children and grandchildren.

David was  preceded in death by his beloved son Chad David Fais, his sister Margaret Joann Fischer and brother James Fais. Left to cherish his memory are, his wife  Sandra Stemshorn Fais ‘65; daughter and son-in-law, Heidi and Jay Ford; brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Mary Beth Fais; sister-in-law, Constance Fais; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, John Frederick and Melanie Stemshorn; and his dear grandchildren, Alisandra, Jay Michael III and Anna Ford of. Also surviving are many nieces and nephews as well as great nieces and nephews including Scott Fais ’98.