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Jeannette Teacher devoted her life to deaf - Tribune-Review
Patty Field was robbed of her hearing at the age of 3 during a feverish bout with the measles.
In turn, Field, a Jeannette native, spent most of her life bestowing knowledge, insight and the enjoyment of music to all she encountered, but especially to the hearing-impaired.
Patty A. Field, who despite her handicap became a deaf education teacher at two elementary schools and at Westmoreland County Community College, died Friday, Oct. 3, 2008, from injuries sustained in a fire that destroyed her home at 402 Washington Avenue. She would have turned 57 today.
The county coroner's office and state police were still investigating Sunday. Authorities said Friday that the fire, which was reported at 7:09 p.m., did not appear to be suspicious.
"Deaf education was Patty's life," said her husband, Douglas B. Field, 57, of Jeannette. "Her cause was always to spread more facts about deaf awareness."
Mrs. Field attended public school in Jeannette City School District before earning dual bachelor's degrees in deaf education and elementary education and graduating with honors from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1974.
"She was an exceptionally bright student, and her passion was to work with deaf children," said Esther Shane, a retired IUP speech pathology professor, who was one of Mrs. Field's bridesmaids at her Dec. 21, 1974, wedding.
By 1976, Field taught deaf language interpretation to elementary students at Gastonville Elementary School in West Mifflin and Westinghouse Elementary in Wilmerding via the Allegheny Intermediate Unit. She taught sign language for more than a decade at Westmoreland County Community College, where she taught many medical doctors and nurses to sign.
"She thought that was so important, that deaf people in hospitals be able to fully communicate with their caretakers," Douglas Field said.
Field also formed a 25-year, Christian-themed musical partnership with her husband known as "Special Duets."
"When we met, I was actually serving as an deaf-language interpreter at the Church of the Open Door in Greensburg," Douglas Field said. "She was smiling at me the whole time and came up to me after and just started talking."
Because Mrs. Field was born with the sense of hearing, she was able to speak quite clearly. She also was able to sense vibrations that came from any variety of music and convey them through artistic sign language. The Fields became well known throughout the county church-going community for their performances.
"They made it like an art form, to hear Dad's music and to see Mom's signing," said the couple's second son, Nathan R. Field, 28.
In addition to her parents, the late Ronald and Helen Louise (Fennell) Back, Mrs. Field was preceded in death by a brother, Ronald W. Back Jr.
Survivors besides her husband and son include two other sons, Jeremy D. Field, 32, and Adam P. Field, 18; and two sisters, Bonnie L. Welsh, of Jeannette, and Rona L. Laatu of Belle Vernon.
Friends will be received from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. today at James E. Lindsay Funeral Home Inc., 3343 Route 130, Harrison City. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday in the funeral home. Burial will follow at St. Clair Cemetery, Greensburg.
Patty Field was robbed of her hearing at the age of 3 during a feverish bout with the measles.
In turn, Field, a Jeannette native, spent most of her life bestowing knowledge, insight and the enjoyment of music to all she encountered, but especially to the hearing-impaired.
Patty A. Field, who despite her handicap became a deaf education teacher at two elementary schools and at Westmoreland County Community College, died Friday, Oct. 3, 2008, from injuries sustained in a fire that destroyed her home at 402 Washington Avenue. She would have turned 57 today.
The county coroner's office and state police were still investigating Sunday. Authorities said Friday that the fire, which was reported at 7:09 p.m., did not appear to be suspicious.
"Deaf education was Patty's life," said her husband, Douglas B. Field, 57, of Jeannette. "Her cause was always to spread more facts about deaf awareness."
Mrs. Field attended public school in Jeannette City School District before earning dual bachelor's degrees in deaf education and elementary education and graduating with honors from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1974.
"She was an exceptionally bright student, and her passion was to work with deaf children," said Esther Shane, a retired IUP speech pathology professor, who was one of Mrs. Field's bridesmaids at her Dec. 21, 1974, wedding.
By 1976, Field taught deaf language interpretation to elementary students at Gastonville Elementary School in West Mifflin and Westinghouse Elementary in Wilmerding via the Allegheny Intermediate Unit. She taught sign language for more than a decade at Westmoreland County Community College, where she taught many medical doctors and nurses to sign.
"She thought that was so important, that deaf people in hospitals be able to fully communicate with their caretakers," Douglas Field said.
Field also formed a 25-year, Christian-themed musical partnership with her husband known as "Special Duets."
"When we met, I was actually serving as an deaf-language interpreter at the Church of the Open Door in Greensburg," Douglas Field said. "She was smiling at me the whole time and came up to me after and just started talking."
Because Mrs. Field was born with the sense of hearing, she was able to speak quite clearly. She also was able to sense vibrations that came from any variety of music and convey them through artistic sign language. The Fields became well known throughout the county church-going community for their performances.
"They made it like an art form, to hear Dad's music and to see Mom's signing," said the couple's second son, Nathan R. Field, 28.
In addition to her parents, the late Ronald and Helen Louise (Fennell) Back, Mrs. Field was preceded in death by a brother, Ronald W. Back Jr.
Survivors besides her husband and son include two other sons, Jeremy D. Field, 32, and Adam P. Field, 18; and two sisters, Bonnie L. Welsh, of Jeannette, and Rona L. Laatu of Belle Vernon.
Friends will be received from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. today at James E. Lindsay Funeral Home Inc., 3343 Route 130, Harrison City. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday in the funeral home. Burial will follow at St. Clair Cemetery, Greensburg.