George Fields

George Galen Fields was born on February 22, 1960, to Bertie Faye and Charles Herbert Fields in Pasadena, Texas, and soon after got to the hard work of being a complete goofball. From an early age, George loved making people laugh, being outside, and causing enough mischief to end up with a good story. He grew up watching Johnny Carson, going on family camping trips, and breaking as many of his older brother’s toys as possible. He fell in love with fishing at a young age and would proudly declare himself a fisherman for the rest of his life. His family moved from Texas to Oklahoma when he was in elementary school, and Tulsa soon became his home. As a young man, he took an interest in cars and could often be found working on or driving too fast around town in his beloved Mazda Spider. Another pastime of his was the fine art of tinkering. Having never met a piece of junk he didn’t see potential in, George frequently found ways to repair, repurpose, or reimagine household appliances, tools, electronics, pieces of scrap, and just about anything else he could find--whether anyone wanted him to or not. He attended Nathan Hale High School, where, despite being a less than sterling academic, his hard work, dependability, and good humor endeared him to his teachers and classmates. After graduating in 1978, he pursued a degree in Computer Operations at Tulsa Junior College. In adulthood, George embodied the phrase, “work hard, play hard.” His strong work ethic drove him to put a hundred percent into any position he held, earning him multiple leadership roles throughout his career with several major companies, including Safeway, Western Merchandisers, Walmart, and Cherokee Nation Businesses. Meanwhile, as a keen outdoorsman, he filled his free time with early morning hunting trips, weekend-long camping adventures, and countless trips to his favorite fishing spot at Lake Tenkiller. He loved nothing more than spending a night on the water in his boat while listening to the radio. George survived two marriages and, after his second divorce, often joked that he’d gotten all he wanted out of marriage: a daughter that he was happy to raise on his own. He was a loving and supportive father and a loyal son who cared for both his parents for several years before their passing. In his later years, George continued to be a truly one-of-a-kind guy. He loved stories about Big Foot, UFO sightings, and aliens. He liked watching bad sci-fi movies with his cadre of pets and was genuinely interested in the weather channel. He was an amateur woodworker who enjoyed making birdhouses and walking sticks for his friends. He collected an unnecessary number of pens and had an uncanny ability to find coins in parking lots. He took great pride in his lawn and loved working on restoring his boat, a 1990 Tracker Nitro 175 FS. He and his daughter enjoyed road trips, star gazing, and watching Star Trek together. He loved joking with his friends, sitting by the fire pit in his backyard on quiet nights, and of course, throwing his fishing poles in the back of his truck and heading off for the lake to go fishing. He was beloved by those who were lucky enough to know him and will be dearly missed.

Tributes

George Fields

February 22, 1960 - August 26, 2022