FIELD, James Patrick 'Jim' - James Patrick Field (Jim) died peacefully on January 15, 2021, at the age of 92, surrounded by five of his children.
He suffered a stroke on Christmas Eve, at Chartwell Hollandview Retirement Home, in Aurora, where he had lived for the past seven years.
In the weeks that followed, Dad was cared for with constant love and kindness, by the nurses and personal support workers at Hollandview, Dr. Mulhern and nurses from the Palliative Care team at Southlake Hospice and by his loving family. We are very grateful for the superlative care and support he received, always delivered respectfully and tenderly. We sincerely appreciate the flexibility and understanding shown by the management at Hollandview that allowed us the privilege to be with Dad in the days before he passed away.
Dad was born in St John’s Newfoundland, March 5, 1928, the sixth of ten children. His talked about his childhood as a very happy one, in spite the hardships of the times. The Fields were a loving family who truly enjoyed each other. His children recall many happy trips to St. John`s, where fun, food and late night singalongs were never in short supply.
He was predeceased by seven siblings (Elizabeth Farrell, Mary James, Jack Field, Alice Caudle, Larry Field, Patricia Reiser, and Tom Field) and survived by his brother Dick Field and his sister Joan Power. He will be the missed by his many nieces and nephews, who fondly remember him as a very kind and caring uncle.
The best of Dad's early memories was the day he first saw our mother, Margaret Murphy. They were both 16 when they met at a Boy Scout Camp, attended by Dad and run my Mom`s father. Soon after, they met again at a skating rink, where Mom asked Dad for Ladies Choice, and at the end of the evening he asked to walk her home. After a seven year courtship, they were married in 1952 and soon after, started their family of seven. They provided their children with a very happy home, where kindness and contentment were the norm, and hugs and love were given abundantly.
They enjoyed a very loving marriage for almost sixty years. Their devotion to and respect for each other was apparent to everyone who knew them. When Mom developed Alzheimer’s dementia, Dad devoted all his time to caring for her and he considered it a privilege to do so. Those were his finest hours; he was by her side until she passed away in 2009.
Dad loved his family deeply and he lived his life for us. He took a keen interest in and was very proud of everyone. A wonderful father and grandfather, he will be greatly missed by his seven children, their spouses, twenty four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Dad was predeceased by his son John Field who died in 2019. He leaves Catherine Busby (Peter; Alana, John, Maia and Isabel Burke; Julianne, Davis and Margaret Kelly; Madeline, Wade, Clara and Leo Hunter; Joel Busby), Gerard Field (Debbie; Jeremy, Benjamin, Christian, Nicolette), Heather Field (Dawn, Geoff, Nathan and Taylor Dinnes; Ryan ), Brian Field (Tara Tyson: Stephanie, Rebecca and Alex Field, Spencer and Sasha Friske), Susan MacPherson (Doug; Leah, Eric, and Connor), Mary Lou Ackerman (Tim; Jennifer, Lucas), Jennifer Mandala (Conrad; Catherine, Ellen, Jack, Owen). Each of us has our own special memories of Dad or Papa that we will cherish and share with each other in the coming years.
Dad also had a successful, rewarding career at Imperial Oil which spanned over forty years.
Because WW11 brought some prosperity to St. John’s, Dad's help with family support was not needed, so he was the first of his siblings to finish school. After high school, he was awarded a scholarship for a one year course in commerce. He finished this program on a Friday, applied for a job as a clerk at Imperial Oil, starting the next day. Over the years, he studied accounting part time, moved up the company ranks, and was transferred, first to the office in Halifax in 1960 and then to Toronto in 1965.
He and Mom enjoyed life in Toronto, raised their family there, but always took the time to go back home to St John’s in the summer. They had a close circle of friends and loved spending time with Bill and Puff Watkins, Ed and Betty Marshall, Carl and Lou Vitale, Ted and Betty Power, Don and Shirley Woolrich, just to name a few.
Dad retired at the age of 58 and really enjoyed the next chapter of his life. He and Mom started to travel more often to sunny climes and family destinations. He kept busy visiting and taking care of his ever growing list of grandchildren. He loved skating, golfing, curling, and playing bridge and his good health allowed him to enjoy these pursuits for many years.
A few years after his move into Hollandview, we saw many subtle changes, as dementia took hold of him. However, he remained very sweet and content with his life, always welcoming visitors and enjoying many family gatherings. His enduring love of music and his talent for remembering the words to songs kept him engaged and happy. His family, especially his daughters Mary Lou and Susan, helped him manage life’s challenges and we are very thankful for all they did for him.
Our Dad, Jim Field, lived his life with humility, kindness and consideration of others. In his own quiet way, he was committed to helping those around him and he gave readily whenever he saw a need. He was a great son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle and friend. He was a true gentleman, loved and admired by many, and by his actions he taught us how to live a good life. We were blessed to call him Dad.
There are no plans for a memorial service at present, due to the restrictions imposed by the Covid pandemic.
Donations can be made, in lieu of flowers, to the Journey Home Hospice, a hospice for homeless people in Toronto, part of the Saint Elizabeth Foundation. On line: sehc.com/foundation/donate By phone: 905 968 6516 By mail: Saint Elizabeth Foundation Attn: Judy Wong, 90 Allstate Parkway, Suite 300, Markham Ontario, L3R 6H3.
Arrangements entrusted with Thompson funeral home, Aurora.
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