John William Field's Obituary
John W. Field, 91, of Rehoboth Beach, DE died on December 8, 2006 at his residence.
He was an author, engineer, and economist with a distinguished career in the corporate world as a management consultant. Born in Brooklyn, NY in 1915, he was the son of the late Reverend Herbert Field, and Catherine Williamson. His brother Herbert and sister Catherine pre-deceased John. He graduated from Columbia University with an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering and a graduate degree in Economics; he also received an advanced degree in finance from the Wharton School. He served in World War II as an officer in the Navy and his early career was spent as an engineer with Bethlehem Steel and General Motors.
After World War II, he became a general management consultant, an associate of Robert Heller & Associates, a Partner of Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co., CEO of Medi-Comp, and then president of his own company. As a consultant, he worked at the board level of a dozen Fortune 200 companies and helped realign Bowater, Carborundum, Citgo, Convair, the Department of Defense, General Electric, Kaiser Motors, McGraw Hill, New York State, Puerto Rico, the U. S. Navy, Westinghouse, and others.
For several years he was a faculty member of the New School for Social Research in NYC and conducted a weekly cable TV show on economics. He has written a score of magazine articles and produced more than a dozen industry monograms and several books including Group Practice Development, a seminal work in the field of medical economics. His development of an economic theory, which he named "Econodynamics," began in the 1970's and resulted in the publication of his major work, "Our Economy: Why It's Not Working and How to Fix It."
His wife of 39 years, Linda Loughton Field, and their daughter Melissa, of Atlanta, Georgia, survive him. He is the father of five children by his first wife, the late Kathleen Strausbaugh. He has eight grandchildren and nine great grandchildren, four nieces and three nephews. His children are John H. (Janet) Field of Vineland, NJ, Sally (James) Sabatino of Wytheville, VA, Stephen (Claire) Field of Wallingford, PA, and Sister Jane Field of the Sisters of St. Joseph Convent in Philadelphia, and the Rev. Michael Field of the Queen of Heaven Parish in Cherry Hill, NJ.
John and his wife have lived in Huntington, LI, New Canaan, CT, and New York City before making their home in Delaware. While John was semi-retired as a writer, Linda Field continued her corporate work in NYC and now works as a freelance management consultant. A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she is a community organist and Dean of the Southern Delaware Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
Final arrangements through Parsell Funeral Homes & Crematorium, Atkins-Lodge Chapel, Lewes are private.
In lieu of flowers, the family wishes to acknowledge the excellent nursing care John received during his long illness with MDS. Donations in honor of the nurses may be sent to the Tunnel Cancer Center at 902 Savannah Road, Lewes, DE 19958 or Compassionate Care Hospice, 201B West DuPont Highway, Millsboro, DE 19966.
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