ELEANOR "Ellie" FIELDS

ELEANOR HIGGONS FIELDS "Ellie"  
Ellie passed away peacefully at her home in University Park, MD, surrounded by loved ones, on Saturday, January 25, 2020, at the age of 92. Born in 1927 in Port Chester, NY to Reginald and Evelyn Higgons, Ellie grew up with her sisters, Barbara and Doris, in Greenwich, CT. She moved south to attend the University of Maryland, where she held numerous leadership positions, earned various academic honors and, most importantly, made many life-long friends. After graduating in 1949, she spent two years as a traveling field secretary for Delta Gamma sorority on campuses in El Paso, TX and Baton Rouge, LA. She then embarked on a broadcasting career in Milford, DE and Washington, DC, working at WMAL and WTOP. She married her husband, Douglas "Doug" Fields, in 1956 and they raised two daughters in University Park, MD. She and Doug were avid sports fans, holding seasons tickets for both the Redskins and the Terrapins, and loved vacationing at the ocean. They were also avid golfers, playing both at the University of Maryland and at Congressional Country Club, where they were members. Ellie was always active in the community, serving as, among other things, the president of the University of Maryland Alumni Association International, the chairman of the P.G. County Chapter of the American Red Cross, the president of the Paint Branch Garden Club, and a Meals on Wheels volunteer. She is survived by her daughters Lynn Fields (Steve White) and Stacy Fields Dranginis (Dan); grandchildren Jeffrey, Robert, Taylor, Andrew, Scott and Catherine; and 15 nieces and nephews. Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, MD, (Valet Parking), Friday, February 7, from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Memorial service at University of Maryland Memorial Chapel, 7744 Regents Drive, College Park, MD, on Saturday, February 8, at 1 p.m. Interment private. Memorial contributions may be made to UMCPF (University of Maryland College Park Foundation, Inc.), Office of Gift Acceptance, 4603 Calvert Road, College Park, MD 20740-3421, referencing "Eleanor Fields - MD Promise Scholars".