David Fant Larson

Published 10:04 am Thursday, January 30, 2025

David Fant Larson, of Danville KY, left this earth on Tuesday, January 21st, 2025, for the great eternal banquet table. A son of Kentucky, David was born on August 21, 1951, in Danville to the late Fritz and Jane Larson. He spent the majority of his life living in Lexington but most recently returned to his hometown, Danville, in 2017. Throughout his life, David managed to both fully embrace and share his love of all things epicurean, refined, and canine.
He graduated from Danville High School in 1969 and entered the University of Kentucky. As a chef, he set out for the big city of Washington DC in the early 1970s, with his parents thinking that he was happily ensconced at the University of Kentucky. He soon obtained a position working in the kitchen of the famed Watergate Hotel and never looked back. Upon the death of his father in 1979, he returned to Danville to briefly take over the management of the family business, Danville Automotive Supplies, Inc. before returning to his true passion of cooking for others. In 1982, David, with Mike Tuttle, opened the Pampered Chef, one of the most celebrated restaurants in Lexington at the time, which he owned for over 15 years. After closing the Pampered Chef he became the first-ever chef in residence at Woodford Reserve Distillery in Frankfort, KY. At Woodford, David had full reign of the kitchen and served such luminaries as Julia Child. David had the opportunity to not only serve thousands of people but to travel to the James Beard House in New York City in April 2000, providing one of the most decadent and delicious meals that attendees had ever enjoyed. After his time at the distillery, David became the vice president of operations at Shaker Village in Shaker Village KY. There he completely redeveloped and redesigned the food services and operations at Shaker Village bringing a whole new generation and population of visitors and Kentucky residents to delicious Kentucky cooking. He retired from Shaker Village in 2017. Always the evangelist for wonderful cooking, great food, and service without pretension, David made countless thousands of people rounder and happier with the food that he prepared with love. His love for food was innate, stemming from his maternal grandmother, Virginia Fant, and a long line of magnificent cooks. Perhaps second only to food, David was an animal lover and throughout his life had some of the most quixotic dogs known to man. Most recently the beloved Bridie, Quentin, and James. In addition to food and dogs, David was a world traveler. David was as at home in London as he was in central Kentucky. Nonetheless, what mattered most to David were the people that he loved the most and feeding them well. Already he is missed but we are confident and positive that he is up there in heaven, having as his old friend, Ron Rose once said “passed over the chilly waters” and is reunited with his pups, his friends, and his grandmother already working on their next culinary delight.
David is survived by his sisters, Ginna (Al) Schneider and Karen Losson, his nephews, Andrew Schneider, Will Schneider, Thomas Schneider, and David Losson, numerous cousins, and scores of dear friends.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, February 7, 2025, at 11 a.m. at the Presbyterian Church of Danville. The family will receive friends in the fellowship hall following the service.
Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Boyle County Public Library or the Danville-Boyle County Humane Society. to share memories or condolences please visit www.stithcares.com