Barbara Sue Fields' Obituary
Barbara Sue Fields of Kailua, Hawaii, passed away peacefully on December 21, 2022, following a courageous two-and-a-half-year battle with pancreatic cancer. She was surrounded by the love of her family and friends, strengthened by her Catholic faith, and beaming with pride as a recent grandmother.
Born in New York on August 22, 1953, Barbara was raised in a military family and grew up in San Diego, California. She graduated from San Dieguito High School, a proud member of the Class of 1971. She met Paul, a United States Marine, and they married in the summer of 1973. Barbara and Paul traveled the world with the Marine Corps – New York, Virginia, Cuba, California, Okinawa, and eventually Hawaii. Kailua became home for nearly 40 years.
Barbara proudly served as an English Language Learner (ELL) teacher at Aikahi and Maunawili elementary schools, dedicating countless hours to her students both in and outside the classroom. She was a faithful Catholic throughout her life and served as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Michael’s parish for over 20 years. Always generous with her time, she volunteered with the Hawaii Marine Animal Response, protecting and providing community education on the Hawaiian monk seal. She also volunteered with the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, looking forward to her Saturdays spent counting humpback whales along the coast. Her energy knew no bounds – you could find her walking Kailua beach or taking kickboxing and Zumba classes at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii gym. She loved to dance hula and cherished her trips to the Merrie Monarch Festival with close friends. In retirement, Barbara and Paul continued their love for travel, taking trips to Alaska, Nova Scotia, and Ireland, making new friends and many new memories along the way. She took endless joy enriching the lives of those around her, whether that was sharing a plate of goodies, a phone call, or a handwritten note to celebrate a special moment.
Barbara is survived by her husband of nearly 50 years, Paul, her children Melanie and Brian (Brigid), her granddaughter, Nora, her siblings, Edward, Mary, Victoria, Valerie, Theresa, Sean, and Charleen, and her many nieces and nephews. She also leaves behind many dear friends, both on and off the island. Barbara made no distinction between family and friends – to know her was to be loved by her.
Services for Barbara will be held on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. John Vianney in Kailua – visitation will begin at 9:30 AM, eulogy at 10:15 AM, and Mass at 10:30 AM. Interment will follow at 1:00 PM at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl).
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Barbara can be made to:
• Hawaii Marine Animal Response (HMAR) | https://h-mar.org/get-involved/
• The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) | https://pancan.org/ways-to-give/
• Your Local Parish or Favorite Community Organization
Arrangements made by Hawaiian Memorial Park Mortuary at Valley of the Temples.
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