GARY B. FIELDS (FLEISCHMAN) died on Sunday October 18, 2020 in San Francisco at the age of 86.

He was the beloved husband of Margo Fields, son of the late George and Bertha Fleischman, brother of the late Laura Mae Cassel, (the late Dr. Melvin Cassel), uncle of Elise (Juan), Georgia (Peter) and Richard Cassel (Karen), great uncle of Miriam Storch (Maurice), Kate Hovey; Jill Saper (Dan), Jordan Pervere; Melissa and Sydney Cassel; life-long friend of Robert Schwartz, Los Angeles.

Gary was born on July 22, 1934 in St. Louis where he grew up in a University City apartment building where he was affectionately known as “Sonny” to his aunts, uncles and first cousins. Each apartment in the building was held by a sister or brother of Gary’s parents, leading him to say that his cousins were more like brothers and sisters than cousins. 

George and Bertha moved to Clayton in 1945, where Gary attended Clayton High School and St. Louis Country Day School before going to Harvard University and the Stanford University School of Law. 

After working as an Assistant United States Attorney in Los Angeles in the early 1960’s, Gary began his private law practice. His practice was primarily civil litigation but he also worked in criminal defense and civil rights as well, at one point representing Linda Kasabian, a key prosecution witness in the Charles Manson trial in 1970 and later, successfully litigating against General Motors for wrongfully terminating a black employee. 

Gary was an avid golfer from the age of nine, learning to play at Ruth Park in University City and Forest Park in St. Louis. He also enjoyed snow skiing with Margo which they did into his early 80’s in Utah and Lake Tahoe. 

Gary will be remembered as someone who had the unique ability to engage others and bring humor to any situation; his sister Laura Mae often said, “He can make you laugh at something you never thought was funny.”