Craig L Fields

Craig L Fields, 72, of Apple Valley was born in Pipestone, MN on May 21, 1953 to Loyal R Fields and Marjorie Gertrude (Groot) Fields and passed on October 6, 2025 in his care home in Edina, spending his final days surrounded by family and friends in a 72-hour send-off, jam-packed with music and memories.

He grew up on a farm outside Jasper, MN. The youngest of 3 boys, he participated in 4-H, FFA and helped his parents on the farm. He attended Jasper Public Schools and graduated in 1971, excelling in basketball with his 6'4" frame and slender build. His grandparents instilled in him a lifetime love of cardplaying.

He followed his agricultural upbringings, attending the University of Minnesota, majoring in Agricultural Business Administration and pledging fraternity Alpha Gamma Rho's Lambda Chapter. He met the love of his life, Dianne, at school and they married in October 1976.

After graduation, Craig was hired by John Deere Company branch and called on dealers in Kansas and Missouri, relocating with each promotion – 4 times in 7 years. As he and Dianne tired of moving and were ready to settle down, he left in 1984 to start the fourth Edward Jones office in the Twin Cities metro in the developing suburb of Apple Valley. He earned high accolades during his career as a respected and valued advisor. He loved his work and the relationships it allowed him to foster with clients and colleagues alike. He retired in 2018, caringly transitioning his clients to his children, who joined him in the business, and several other trusted advisors.

He gave back to his community endlessly, receiving Alpha Gamma Rho's Lambda chapter's Man of The Year Award for lifetime achievement, which he excitedly accepted just weeks before his death. He was a charter member and past president of the Apple Valley Rotary Club and a member of Grace Lutheran Church and the Apple Valley Chamber of Commerce. He supported numerous local and international organizations. When asked what he wanted for his birthday, his response was invariably "world peace" and "time with you."

He made close friends everywhere he went – through work, sports, church, and community involvement. His constant calm and kindness drew others to him and made a lasting impact on their lives.

He loved food, long claimed that brussels sprouts were "better than candy" and frequently consumed an entire shelf of leftovers. He and Dianne joined a gourmet club, a perfect fit for his insatiable appetite, shortly after moving to Apple Valley, forming bonds that lasted for decades.

He enjoyed traveling – taking his family throughout the United States and beyond, and exploring the world with Dianne.

Craig was an athlete, playing softball, basketball, golf, and pickleball. He ran several Twin Cities Marathons and spent hours every day moving his body. His love of Minnesota sports, especially basketball, ran deep – he was an inaugural Timberwolves season ticket holder and lifelong fan and shared Gopher Men's Basketball tickets with friends for decades.

Craig was a man of the outdoors – canoeing in the BWCA over 40 times, endlessly tackling nuisance plants with gusto to burn in frequent backyard bonfires with loved ones, and taking his family to camp and hike in National Parks. Over time, he hiked the entire John Muir Trail and myriad other places. He climbed numerous 14ers and Mount Kilimanjaro, and made it much of the way to Everest Base Camp, just before his diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease in 2019. He was later diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease Dementia in late 2023.

Despite the diagnoses, he still lived life as fully as his body and brain would allow. He continued traveling and playing sports for a number of years, kept attending local concerts and sporting events, spending time in the outdoors, and enjoying meals, conversations, and bonfires with loved ones. He played passionately with his grandkids and supported them by showing up to watch swimming lessons. Even in his final weeks, he'd light up upon seeing them and never stopped enjoyed their antics. He treasured seeing friends and family until the very end.

He was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by wife Dianne (Holteen) Fields of nearly 49 years, children Jessica Fields (Nathan Henry), Joseph Fields (Angela Botta), grandchildren Soren and Anya Fields-Henry, brothers Dick (Felicita) Fields, and Dan (Joni) Fields, sisters-in-law Dawn (Roger) Hubmer, LaVonne (Steve) Nicolai, and Mary (Tom) Barnidge, and nieces and nephews Dustin Fields, Heather Fields, Rika Fields, Jennifer Mai, Stephanie Fields, Paul Hubmer, Laura Morganthall, Theresa Kuske, Jennifer Seyes, Ben Hitzemann, Jeremiah Nicolai, and Sydney Barnidge.

The family would like to thank the teams at Evergreen Care Homes and Brighton Hospice for their skillful and empathetic care in Craig's final weeks of life.

His memorial will be held on November 15th, with a service at 11am at Grace Lutheran Church of Apple Valley, visitation 1 hour prior, and celebration of life to follow at Valleywood Golf Course. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to The Parkinson's Foundation or an organization of your choice.