First Bank & Trust leader Bob Fishback passes away

Bob Fishback, a third-generation banker who is credited with guiding Brookings, S.D.-based First Bank & Trust into one of the state’s largest privately held banking organizations, died Dec. 7 at the age of 89..Fishback joined the family bank at age 25 after earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in business finance and economics. He became president just seven years later, in 1968 following the sudden death of his father, Horace Fishback. Colleagues said he embraced the role without hesitation, driven by a deep sense of duty and a belief in doing “the right thing.”During Fishback’s tenure from 1968 to 1995, the bank’s staff grew to more than 175 from fewer than 20, and its asset size expanded significantly. During his 27-year tenure, the bank added multiple Brookings-area branches and entered markets in White, Vermillion and Stockholm counties. Fishback also established Fishback Financial Corporation, the holding company that owns 22 First Bank & Trust locations in South Dakota and Minnesota.After his retirement in 1995, he continued serving in leadership positions, including as chair of both First Bank & Trust and its holding company until 2016. He became a board member and later moved to emeritus status in 2022. Fishback is credited with creating Kids World Learning Center, the first—and still only — company-owned childcare center in South Dakota.“The community of Brookings, the Fishback family, and countless colleagues, clients, and friends lost a true champion,” said First Bank & Trust President and CEO Kevin Tetzlaff. “Bob was a steward of his community and a quiet advocate for causes across the region.”