Raylena Church Fields

Raylena Church Fields, an Emmy Award-winning news producer who worked with Peter Jennings at ABC News and Dan Rather at CBS News, died surrounded by her family on Sunday, December 10 at home in Salisbury, Maryland. She was 70.

Ray-as those closest to her called her-was born in Allen, Maryland in 1953, the middle daughter of Rayfield Church and Celestine Polk Church. She grew up in awe of National Geographic photographs and how news anchors like Walter Cronkite could bring such world-changing, international stories to families' living rooms. She wanted to tell stories too. After graduating from the University of Maryland with a journalism degree, she built a 30-year career in newsrooms in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York-and her work traversed borders. There were ground-breaking domestic investigations, like the unique risks credit cards promoted on campuses presented to students in the early 2000s; coverage of the death of Princess Diana, for which she won her two Emmys; and coverage of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

When Ray left the news industry, she wanted to tell stories that mattered to her. In Lancaster, Pennsylvania, she volunteered as an associate producer on an independent film, and she earned a master's degree in religion from Lancaster Theological Seminary. She continued that interest in religious studies in Thailand and Japan, where she pursued a doctorate in peace-building at Payap University and Osaka University's School of International Public Policy, respectively. Not long after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2013, she returned to the Eastern Shore and focused on pursuing a long-held dream: writing a children's book. She self-published The Adventures of Natalie Hill in 2017.

Raylena is survived by her beloved sons Bradley (Jenn) of Illinois, and Paul of Salisbury; two sisters, Deborah of Joppa and Althea Chandler of Salisbury; a host of family and friends-all inspired by her grace, humor, and strength. She was a spiritualist, avid reader, and world-traveler who loved old Westerns, Downton Abbey, and the color yellow. She will be missed by all who knew and loved her.

In lieu of a funeral, a memorial service celebrating Raylena's life will happen in early 2024. In the meantime, rather than send flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the National Association of Black Journalists in honor of her incredible life.