David Hall Fields
David Hall Fields, an emeritus International Mission Board missionary who shared the gospel among East Asian people in Taiwan, died July 19, 2019, in Lebanon, Conn. He was 92.
He was born on Oct. 20, 1926, in New Britain, Conn., the second child of Clifford Griswold Fields and Margery Rice Fields. He graduated from The Choate School, Wallingford, Conn.; and earned a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; a master of science degree in chemistry from the University of Connecticut, Storrs; and a master of education degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and University, Blacksburg.
During high school through college, he played the double bass professionally and continued to play with various instrumental groups for special events until his last decade.
Moving to Lebanon in 1949, Fields was employed with the American Thread Company. On June 28, 1952, he married Marion L. Randall, his wife for 65 years until her death in 2017.
In 1960 David was promoted to Research Director, a position he held until 1967 when he resigned to further his education. Upon graduation in 1970, he was employed as instructor of chemistry and math at D.S. Lancaster Community College, Clifton Forge, Va. By 1979 he was promoted to Associate Professor.
He and Marion were named missionary associates of the Foreign (now International) Mission Board to teach in Morrison Academy, a K-12 Christian school for children of missionaries in Taichung, Taiwan. He taught chemistry, algebra, calculus and physics and was the science department head.
During his tenure there, he and Marion and a local support group established a church in a nearby community.
David and Marion returned to Lebanon, retiring in 1992. During retirement he performed volunteer tutoring and, with Marion, taught informal weekly English conversation classes to a small group of foreign-born, mostly Chinese, graduate students at University of Connecticut until 2005.
He was an active member of the First Congregational church of Lebanon and, earlier, in the Baptist Church of Clifton Forge. Va.
He is survived by four children: Timothy Fields (Cynthia), Lebanon, Conn.; Peter Fields (Vivian), Roanoke, Va.; Rebecca Fields, Mansfield, Conn.; and Boanne Avery (Robert), Salem, Conn.; six grandchildren; and two great grandchildren.
Read an obituary here.