Hugh Thornycroft Field

On the evening of January 17, 2022, Hugh Thornycroft Field passed away at home in Henderson, NV after a 15 month battle with cancer. Hugh was surrounded by love and held the hands of both his children as he passed. He was 78, or as he would have written it, 78 3⁄5.

Hugh was born in New York City on June 16, 1943, to Hermann and Kate (Thornycroft) Field. He was the eldest of three children. In 1947 the family moved to Cleveland, OH for his father’s new job.

In 1949, when Hugh was 6, his father was kidnapped in Europe and became a political prisoner during the cold war. Hugh, his mother, and his younger brother Alan moved to London to stay with Kate’s parents. During this time, Hugh attended King Alfred School and then University College School and discovered a lifelong passion for London buses. Hugh’s family was reunited in 1954. They moved back to the United States and settled in the Boston area in 1956.

Once home in the U.S., Hugh attended Browne & Nichols School, Woodstock Country School, and then Harvard University (class of 1965) and UMass Boston, graduating in 1967.

Hugh met Carol Ann Freni while working at John Hancock in 1965. They married in 1971 and had two children: Jonathan born in 1973 and Cynthia born in 1981. They spent most of their marriage in Norwood, MA. During that time Hugh began work at The Department of Welfare in Massachusetts as a data analyst, a job he kept until his retirement in 2002. After 20 years of marriage, Hugh and Carol chose to divorce amicably in 1991.

In 1996, Hugh met Sharon Ethel Concannon at a dance in Waltham, MA and they married in a small ceremony in 2001. They both enjoyed the countryside and animals, so they left Norwood, MA to spend a few years in Shirley, MA before purchasing a home in New Salem, MA in 2005. They enjoyed watching the wildlife, taking part in town events, spending time with their many friends, and caring for their cats.

Hugh was an avid reader and took great interest in world history, science, and politics. He was always engaged in local events, attending town meetings, serving on several town committees, writing for local newspapers, taking part in theater, singing in the choir and a chorus, and attending science meetups and writing groups. Hugh loved puzzles, numbers, and was a member of Mensa. He enjoyed traveling, usually with family, and visited many countries around Europe and North America, as well as South Africa.

Hugh is remembered as warm, fun, and quirky. Gentle in spirit, he avoided cynicism and was a friend to all. He always looked for the bright side of situations and the positive in people.

Hugh visited Henderson, NV in January 2020 to spend time with his children and grandchildren, work on his health, and to enjoy the mild Nevada winter. Sadly, due to travel restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and his subsequent cancer diagnosis, he wasn’t able to return to Massachusetts, and his wife Sharon was not able to be at his side.

He was preceded in death by his parents Hermann and Kate Field of Shirley, MA and his brother-in-law Calestous Juma of Cambridge, MA.

Hugh is survived by his wife, Sharon Field of New Salem, MA; former wife and mother of his children, Carolyn Sabina Freni; son and daughter-in-law, Jonathan and Andile Field; daughter and son-in-law Cynthia and Erik Hemmer; and five grandchildren, Emelie and Juliette Hemmer, and Anna, Ethan, and Zoe Field, all of Henderson, NV; brother Alan Field and his partner Donna Wainwright of Winchester, MA; and sister Alison Field-Juma of Cambridge, MA.

Hugh also leaves behind his lifelong friends Arthur Shurcliff of Richmond, VA, David Devore of London, England, and Paul Hayes of West Roxbury, MA, all of whom stayed in touch with him until his final days.

Hugh will be laid to rest in the family plot in Shirley Cemetery.

A memorial celebrating his life will be held in Shirley, MA this summer.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in Hugh’s name to:

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute - www.dana-farber.org

World Harvest Missions Outreach - www.newlife4kids.org

World Wildlife Fund - www.worldwildlife.org

Natural Resources Defense Council - www.nrdc.org