Gary Byron Fields

July 22, 1934 - October 18, 2020 GARY BYRON FIELDS (FLEISCHMAN) died in San Francisco at the age of 86. He was the beloved husband of Margo Fields and dearly loved by his nieces and nephews, Elise, Georgia, and Richard Cassel and their children Miriam, Kate, Jill, Jordan, Melissa, and Sydney.Gary was born in St. Louis and grew up in a family-owned apartment building where he was affectionately known as "Sonny" to his aunts, uncles and first cousins. He attended St. Louis Country Day School, Harvard, where he graduated Summa, and Stanford Law School. He worked as a prosecutor for the U.S. Justice Department, where he gained experience in trial work and extradition matters. In the 1960's he began a private practice in civil litigation. He was active in civil rights and criminal defense, at one point representing Linda Kasabian, a key prosecution witness in the 1970 Charles Manson trial. He represented defendants charged in connection with the Watts riots. On behalf of a black person he sued the Los Angeles Police Department for brutality, winning a substantial award in one of the earliest of those cases. He singlehandedly took on General Motors against which he successfully litigated for the wrongful termination of a black employee.When he was asked to represent Andrija Artukovic in the controversial 1985 extradition case, he fulfilled the highest responsibilities of the legal profession - representing an unpopular cause, despite outcry in the media and threats by groups like The Jewish Defense League. The hate mail he received was surpassed by hundreds of letters of support and he was unanimously praised by his professional colleagues. When the JDL let loose a live pig in his Beverly Hills office and sprayed paint on his rug, he reacted with characteristic humor and established the "Gary B. Fleischman Carpet Fund," inviting "non-deductible contributions not to exceed two dollars."Gary was a dedicated golfer from the age of nine, learning to play at Forest Park in St. Louis. When he was 40, Margo persuaded him to learn to ski; thereafter, until Gary was 80, they spent winters skiing at Lake Tahoe, Aspen, and Alta, Utah.Gary will be remembered as someone who had the unique ability to engage others and bring humor to any situation; his sister Laura Mae often said, "He can make you laugh at something you never thought was funny."