Funeral Details

Robert “Bob” James Field of Skokie, Illinois, died on January 7, 2025, at the age of 90. Born on October 17, 1934, in Chicago, Illinois, he was a devoted husband to Anita; a loving father to Ted and Andrea; and a beloved grandfather of Ella, Olivia, Charlie, Molly, and Caroline.

In the early 1960s, Bob received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and his master’s degree from Northwestern University. After earning his degrees, Bob spent many years as a schoolteacher. He began his teaching career with a brief stint at Field School in Northbrook, Illinois (named after Stanley Field, no relation). After that, he spent the rest of his teaching career at Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School on Wabansia Avenue in Chicago, where he taught for about 30 years until his retirement in 1989.

At Stowe School, he primarily taught history and social studies to seventh- and eighth-grade students. Toward the end of his career at Stowe in the 1980s, he also taught computer use, which at that time was a cutting-edge subject. Additionally, he served as a guidance and disciplinary counselor. Over the years, many of his students expressed to him that he was their favorite teacher. After he retired, he continued to hear from many students whose lives he had touched.

Bob was also a published author. While teaching the U.S. Constitution and history in the 1980s, he realized that the reading level of the textbooks he was using was too difficult for some of his students, many of whom spoke English as a second language. Thus, he set out to write and publish a series of books on these subjects at an easier-to-read level, allowing lower-level readers to learn these important topics. This series included Our Constitution: Our Government (1984), The History of the United States (1993), and World History (1993). In addition to these books, Bob wrote several education-related articles for Instructor magazine (now Scholastic Teacher). He also published several op-ed pieces in the Chicago Tribune.

Bob had several interests throughout his life. For decades, one of his main interests was photography, an interest he passed along to his son and several grandchildren. Additionally, he was an avid reader. He enjoyed mysteries and nonfiction, including history and politics. He also had an appreciation for antique cars—particularly Packards—and he frequently read about these cars and their history. Also, he was an aficionado of antique fountain pens, and he amassed a sizeable collection of them. Furthermore, since the late 1970s, he had a keen interest in computers and technology, and he continued to keep up with the latest trends in technology throughout his life. Moreover, he was a cat lover, and he most recently enjoyed spending time with his cat “Bobcat.”

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Isidore and Tillie “Toby” Finkelman; and his older sister, Bernice Finkelman. He is survived by his wife, Anita Field nee Abramson; his younger sister, Marsha Bain nee Finkelman (the late Arnold Bain); his children, Ted (Jessica) and Andrea Field (Brian Duignan); and his five grandchildren, Ella, Olivia, Charlie, and Molly Field and Caroline Duignan-Field. Bob was interred at Westlawn Cemetery in Norridge, Illinois. A private funeral was held on January 9, 2025, for immediate family members.

Bob’s family would welcome memorial donations to the American Heart Association or the American Kidney Fund.

Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Skokie Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com