Richard Treadwell Field

The world bid farewell to a true Renaissance Man at the passing of Richard Treadwell Field, of Newark, Delaware, who died October 14 at the age of 92. Known and loved for his towering intellect with a unique ability to take the most complex ideas and distill them down to share with friends and colleagues, Richard was a man of eclectic tastes and talents. His constant pursuit of knowledge, ideas, and culture informed his entire life.

Born in New York City and raised in Connecticut, Richard graduated from Staples High School in Westport, CT and Hamilton College in Clinton, NY and went on to earn a commission in the United States Navy. Much of his military service was with the staff on the flagship of the Navy’s 7th Fleet, facing off against the threat of Chinese expansion. He spent two years stationed in Japan, with his then wife, Mary, and their infant son, Christopher. He left the Navy as Lieutenant, junior grade.

After leaving the Navy, he went on to earn a master’s degree in geography from the University of Chicago and began his doctoral studies. His career eventually led him into the field of climatology, where he worked with pioneers in the field. His research took him and his family to Bridgeton, NJ, where he studied small-scale climatological phenomena, mostly in the open ocean from a research platform near Bermuda.

While living in Bridgeton, Richard was active in the War on Poverty, developing and leading a local Community Action Partnership that, among other things, started a Head Start Program. The work of that partnership continues today.

When the Bermuda project wound down, Richard moved to the University of Delaware and taught geography and microclimatology for more than 15 years. Much of his research explored the impact of human activity on local climate patterns.

Richard completed his doctoral degree in Remote Sensing at the University of Delaware through the College of Marine Studies. The final years of his career saw him in an air boat travelling up and down the Delaware River, gathering data (and using GIS to analyze it) on invasive species in marshlands to help restore wetlands–protecting the land from erosion and giving more habitat to wildlife and support for migrating birds.

A long-time member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Newark, Richard sang in the church choir and gave many Sunday Service talks, as well as serving on committees and leading Adult Religious Explorations.

In addition to embracing Unitarian Universalism, he was deeply involved in Zen Buddhist meditation and in typical fashion steeped himself in the history of the practice. For years, he led weekly meditations at the Fellowship (which, during COVID and since, continue via Zoom). He led several workshops, introducing attendees to modern thinkers, historians and practitioners of Zen.

Richard shared his pride in his granddaughters, lighting up when he talked about their achievements.

His love of nature and vigorous activity took him on hiking, camping, kayaking and canoeing adventures with his sons, other family members, and friends. He was also a lover of classical music, and gained much skill in identifying the composer, piece, and period of music he listened to on classical radio stations at home (WRTI) and while traveling in the car.

Richard married Patricia Harris Field in 1991. He was her greatest champion, advocate, and supporter of her artistic and musical talents. One of his favorite activities was listening to her improvising music on the Steinway parlor grand piano, which he had rebuilt for her. As with classical music, Richard really listened to the improvisation. He did not treat either as “background music”. It mattered deeply to him.

In addition to Pat, Richard is survived by his sons, Christopher (wife Kimberly and daughter Lucretia), William (wife Susan and daughters Elizabeth and Victoria), and Gregory (wife Naomi and daughters Megumi, Anna, and Kanako); sister Katharine Field Graves; former wife Mary Knauth Field; and stepchildren John Harris, David Harris, and Catherine Harris Lambert. He was predeceased by his parents, William Hill Field and Margaret Treadwell Field, and sister Sarah Field Morgan.

A celebration of Richard’s life will be held on Saturday, November 21 at 11:00 am at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Newark, 420 Willa Road, Newark, DE. The Fellowship doors will be open at 10:30am. A luncheon reception will immediately follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests considering a donation in Richard’s name to one of the following organizations: Food Bank of Delaware by clicking here; Oglala Lakota College by clicking here; or Habitat for Humanity by clicking here.