Joseph Kast

In the wee hours of February 15, 2016, God whispered Joe’s name and he left his worldly home to be with his Lord. Gentleman Joseph "Joe" Kast was born in Seguin, Texas, on December 11, 1945, to Earl Kast and Leona Kast Manger.

He was raised in San Antonio, Texas, and graduated from Sam Houston High School in 1963, and joined the Marine Corps soon after. He fought for his country in the Vietnam War. After leaving the Marine Corps, Joe applied to the Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol School and his first duty station was from Beeville to George West where he made lifelong friends and was forever drawn to those friends in the Brush Country.

Joe made his next career move by applying and acing the interview Board of the Texas DPS Narcotics Service. Joe was in the first 21 agents in the State of Texas and his first station was in Dallas where he worked deep undercover in Denton. Joe and his partner Bill Clifton made the most felony drug cases in Texas history and for that he was honored by his peers with the Legend Award in October, 2015. In 1978, Joe continued his service to his state by working for the Department of Health and Human Services in the Office of the Inspector General. Joe retired from the State of Texas in 1995, and worked for his dear friend Sandy Tullis as office manager for Sandy's oilfield service company.

Joe is survived by his wife, Jan Bond Kast, his sister Esther Frieze, and a multitude of friends and family.

Joe stayed a bachelor for 43 years before he and Jan were married and all his friends marveled that any woman tamed him. Joe and Jan met each other again after a 33 year interval in 2003 at a reunion in Denton; the thunderbolt struck and they lived happily ever after. Rest in peace, sweet Gentleman Joe.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M., Thursday, February 18, 2016, at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home.

A Celebration of Joe’s Life will be at 1:00 P.M., Friday, February 19, 2016, in the Chapel of Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home with Brother Pat Traxler officiating. Interment will be at 9:45 A.M., Monday, January 22, 2016, at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.

Honoring Joe as pallbearers will be Sandy Tullis, Roger Brown, Keith Stoddard, Billy Rowles, Sr., Glenn Lisso, Bob Harden, Bruce Casteel, and Ronnie Tucker. Honorary pallbearers will be Ken Aikens, Regis DeArza, Brantley Foster, Mike Galvan, John Leonard, Johnny Koonce, Ben Neel, Dennis Waters, Jerry Larson, B.C. Lyon, Jimmy Simmons, Adolph Thomas, Jim Sturdevant, and Bill Sneed.