Obituary: Dr. Norman Field

Dr. Norman (Norm) Field, 76, passed away on Friday, Oct. 13, after a valiant battle with lymphoma.

Norm grew up in New York City, alongside his many cousins, who were like siblings. As a youth, Norm spent time working at his parents’ clothing store, playing stickball, and singing barbershop style on Ditmas Avenue. He is a graduate of Stuyvesant High School, Jacksonville University and what is now the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine.

After his medical training, Dr. Field moved to Georgia and went on to found The Field Foot and Ankle Clinic in Griffin, which still exists today. Since the early 1990s, his outpatient surgical theater has been used by podiatrists across the region as an alternative to hospital surgery. After private practice, Dr. Field enjoyed a decade-long career in the Veterans Administration, where he rose to the Chief of Podiatry position at the Atlanta VA Medical Center, training dozens of residents in the process. Dr. Field is a past President of the Georgia Podiatric Medical Association.

But perhaps Norm’s most enjoyable occupation was that of sports dad, coach, fan, and chauffeur for the athletic endeavors of his children and grandchildren. There is nowhere Norm would rather be than on the bleachers, making sure that even the officials felt his presence.

In retirement, Norm transitioned from a sports fan to a voracious tennis player, hitting the court nearly every day, keeping meticulous notes on how to perfect his swing, taking lessons, and practicing with his ball machine. Norm loved to mention that despite his age, his hand-eye coordination and quick reflexes never left him. He loved his bucolic existence on Lake Oconee, although his sunbathing and boating skills left something to be desired.

Norm helped establish a permanent home for Congregation B’nai Israel, the only synagogue on the southside of Atlanta, where he sang baritone during High Holidays, amongst other responsibilities. Norm could strike up a conversation with just about anyone and find joy connecting those who might benefit mutually. He is survived by his wife, Sarah, sons, Ben (Mary Lou) and Jason, stepson, Ayal Latz (Kara), and beloved grandchildren, Theo, Lila, Dawn, Justin, and Ronen, who knew him as Pops. He leaves behind many loving relatives, friends, colleagues, and tennis partners. Norm is predeceased by his Holocaust-surviving parents David and Irene Field, who immigrated through Ellis Island after the war.

A memorial service was held in the chapel at Arlington Memorial Gardens, 201 Mount Vernon Hwy, Sandy Springs, GA 30328, at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023. In lieu of flowers or a donation, please tell someone important something you’ve been meaning to tell them. Dressler’s, 770-451-4999.

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