Wayne G Fields

Wayne was born January 6, 1933 in Jenkins, KY, the middle son in a family of 11 children born to William G. and Cordia A. (Knight) Fields. He moved to Peoria, IL with the family in 1942. A graduate of Peoria High School, he joined the U.S. Navy in 1952, serving two years on a destroyer in the waters off Japan during his four-years of service.

He began a career in data processing in 1957 working at Hiram Walker, followed by three years at Proctor Hospital, 14 years at Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis (OSF) and eight years at BroMenn Health Care in Normal.

For the past 14 years, he worked part-time for the Peoria Park District at the district’s Golf Learning Center.

“I’ve had a good life,” he said recently. “Nothing has been more important to me than having two children I couldn’t be more proud of and the best grandchildren anyone could wish for.”

He is survived by two daughters, Renee Fields of Chicago and Connie (Patrick) Welch of Mackinaw; three grandchildren, Jacqueline McNally, Nicole Welch and Paul Welch, and his children’s mother, Mary Alice (Verbeke) Peters. He also is survived by three brothers, Carroll Fields of Alexandria, LA, Howard Fields of Lahaina, HI and David Fields of Scottsdale, AZ and one sister, Judy Mayo, of Mesa, AZ.

He was preceded in death by three sisters, Geraldine Oak, June Townsen and Norma Kutz and three brothers Delmer Fields, Paul Fields and Richard Fields.

No service is planned. Cremation has been accorded by Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin.

The family has requested that memorial contributions be made to OSF Hospice, 2265 West Altorfer Drive, Peoria, IL 61615.

The family would like to extend their upmost heartfelt and sincere thanks to the hospice nurses for their compassionate care.

To express condolences online, visit www.preston-hanley.com