Martin L. Fields

1946 - 2017

Fields, Martin L.
It is with great sadness in our hearts to note the passing of Martin Lee Fields, 71, of Rocky Hill, CT, who lost his battle with cancer on December 24, 2017.
Born September 8, 1946 in the Bronx, NY, Marty was the son of the late Bernie and Helen (Solotoroff) Fields. He was raised in Middletown where he graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1964. For the past 35 years, Marty has been residing in Rocky Hill.
After attending Morse Business College and the University of Hartford, Marty spent his working career in the jewelry industry, as President of his family's business, Bernie Fields Jewelers. Located on Main Street in the center of Middletown, Bernie Fields Jewelers was a well-respected and well-regarded business in the Middletown community.
In following years, Marty also was President of Bernie Fields Jewelers of Westbrook, CT.
Marty leaves his beloved and devoted wife Nancy (Kahn) Fields of 27 years, who has been his unselfish caregiver and biggest advocate. Marty's large and loving family include: Marcie Berger (Mark) of Larchmont, NY; Leslie Person (Mark) of Cromwell, CT; Laurie Robillard (Brian) of Middletown, CT; Rebecca Fields (partner Rob Carvalho) of Rocky Hill, CT, and son Alan Fields (partner Shelly VanOverloop) of Waterford, CT.
Marty is also survived by his cherished sister, Harriet Deeton (Dewey) of Cromwell, CT, who gave him her immune system via a stem cell transplant in 1998. This extended Marty's life 19 years, making him the longest living mantle stem cell survivor from a sibling.
Besides his children, Marty leaves his precious grandchildren: Jared and Elissa Berger, Alex and Erika Person and Matthew, Nathan, Jacob and Hallie Robillard, and Gabe VanOverloop, and also a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Patty and Phil Einhorn of North Carolina, along with several nieces and nephews.
Alongside his family, Marty wants to acknowledge two lifelong best friends: Fred Searle and Shelly Levy who added much joy to his life.
Besides serving in the CT National Guard, Marty was a past member of several organizations: The Middletown Exchange Club, Boy Scouts of America and St. John's Lodge #2 A.F. and A.M. One of Marty's proudest achievements was his voluntary work in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization, founded in the state of CT in 1962, by his father Bernie Fields. For 15 years he served on the Board of Trustees of Big Brother/Big Sister and also became a Big Brother.
Because Marty experienced the day to day hardships of living with cancer, he wanted to personally help others in the same situation. Therefore, he devoted time to the CT Chapter of the Lymphoma Research Foundation and was also a Patient Instructor at the University of Connecticut Medical School. Additionally, Marty frequently spoke at the "Cancer Relay for Life" and "Cancer Survivor Days", inspiring others who could learn from his own struggles and journey.
On a lighter note, Marty was an enthusiastic lover of musical theater and participated in several local Middletown productions. He kept tabs on all the current Broadway musicals and also diligently followed current events. Marty loved to spend time reading and especially enjoyed mysteries and news periodicals. He never let his illness prevent him from keeping pace with what was happening in politics, the economy, or entertainment.
The Fields family, on behalf of Marty, would like to thank his many doctors at Yale for their wonderful care and ongoing compassion, especially Dr. Stuart Seropian and Dr. John Brennan.
At the end of his illness, Marty spent many months at Apple Rehab in Cromwell. He was very loved by many caring professionals from Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Speech Therapy, and also cared for by many devoted nurses and aides who were by his side daily.
Despite his own pain, Marty never let anything inhibit him from engaging in laughter and jokes with the people caring for him. He considered Apple Rehab his second home and his spirits were always upbeat and positive. He was unbelievably courageous and in fighting the good fight was an inspiration to everyone who knew him.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday, December 28 at 1:30 p.m. at Congregation Adath Israel Synagogue, 8 Broad Street, Middletown, followed by burial at Adath Israel Cemetery, Pine Street, Middletown.
In lieu of flowers, Marty requested memorial donations to be made to: The Lymphoma Research Foundation, 115 Broadway, Suite 1301, NY, NY 10006 and/or the Smilow Cancer Center, Park Street, New Haven, CT. To share memories or send condolences to the family, please visit www.doolittlefuneralservice.com.