Fields White Cobb, Jr.

Fields “Sonny” White Cobb, Jr. was born February 16, 1932 in Key West, Florida to Fields Sr. and Alice (Presson) Cobb. At the time, his father was working in Key West wiring the post office. When he was six months old, his family returned to their Virginia roots. The Cobb home in Dendron, Virginia was built by Fields’ grandfather in late 1890s and was located across the James River from Jamestown, Virginia. His home was only a few miles away from the historic home of Pocahontas and her husband John Rolfe. Fields loved fishing and hunting in the woods and swamps surrounding his home in Dendron. Once he discovered the science of Forestry, he knew that it was the profession for him. Fields graduated from Surry High School in 1950, and enrolled in Virginia Tech and then North Carolina State where he received his Bachelors of Science in Forestry in 1955. With his degree in Forestry, he went to work for the Forest Service as a research forester and his supervisor strongly encouraged him to pursue a Master’s degree. Fields applied and was accepted to Yale University, where he earned his Master’s of Science in Forestry. While attending Yale, Fields met a pretty nursing student by the name of Octavia “Tavie” Hickcox Smith and the two married while still at Yale. There were many jokes about Tavie being a Yankee and Fields being a true southerner. Fields received his MS in just one year at Yale and after graduation, he returned to the Forest Service and was transferred to Gulf Port, Mississippi as a Forest Pathologist. After a year in Gulf Port, he resigned and returned to New Haven, Connecticut where he worked as an agriculture economist while Tavie finished her nursing degree. The two were married on May 24, 1958 and together they moved to Pennsylvania State University for Fields to pursue his PhD in Forest Pathology. One year after their marriage, while at Penn State, they welcomed their first child, a daughter, Cynthia Leigh Cobb, and about two and a half years later, they had their first son, David Fields Cobb. The family managed to get by on very little income during their student years at Penn State. Shortly after receiving his PhD from Penn State, Fields received a teaching position as a Professor of Forest Pathology at the University of California, Berkeley. After this move to California, the family grew by an additional son, Stephen Lewis Cobb. Fields taught at Berkeley for thirty years, and was world renown for his research accomplishments. He loved teaching and working with his students. While at Berkeley, he mentored eighteen PhD students and several Master’s students. In 2008, both Fields and his colleague Dick Parmeter were recognized by their Graduate students and peers with a large reunion held in Post Falls, Idaho. At the reunion, the guests shared their admiration and respect for both men. Teaching was an absolute joy for Fields and he was loved by his students and deeply admired by his peers. He was terrifically proud of his students’ accomplishments and he lives on through the positive impact he had on them. His students said he was the finest teacher and mentor and that they truly loved him. He has influenced so many professionals in the field of natural resources. Conservation of natural resources was his passion, a passion that he was able to pass on to future generations. In his free time, he loved gardening, spending time in the woods, tinkering in his shop and surrounding himself with family and friends. He was a master gardener who generously shared the bounty of his labors. Fields retired in 1993 and he and Tavie moved to the shores of Lake Pend Oreille in northern Idaho to be closer to his two grandchildren, Paul Fields Cobb and Robin Elizabeth Cobb. Grandpa Fields was nicknamed “Grandpa Two Hairs” by the grandchildren and left both of them with a joy for learning and a lifetime of fond memories, wisdom and love. The Cobb home on Lake Pend Oreille is a log home that fit their personalities very well. Fields loved life and was always a practical joker, teller of good stories and southern gentleman. He was an intelligent, passionate, loving, courageous man of the highest integrity. He was fiercely proud of his family and friends. He remained true to his Virginia and Surry County roots, even though he married a lovely Yankee and lived out west. He lived upholding the honor of his family and old Virginia and he demonstrated the greatest virtues of other great sons of Virginia--the truthfulness of George Washington, the faithfulness to and love of family seen in Robert E. Lee, and the conviction to honor the rights and beliefs of people as exhibited by Thomas Jefferson. Everyone cherished his deep sense of fairness and insistence on always doing what was right. The Cobb family and friends spent his last few days reminiscing with Fields and singing all kinds of songs to him including: On Top of Old Smokey, Carry Me Back to Ol’ Virginny and Amazing Grace. Fields fought a courageous battle with both heart disease and renal failure. On November 7, 2011 at the age of 79, he passed away in Sandpoint, Idaho. At the time of his passing he was at peace and surrounded by love. Fields was preceded in death by his parents, Fields and Alice Cobb. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Octavia, daughter, Cynthia Cobb of Snohomish, Washington, son David (Jill) Cobb of Priest Lake, Idaho, son Stephen (Denise) Cobb of Council, Idaho, two grandchildren, Paul and Robin Cobb of Priest Lake, Idaho, and his cousin Alice (Chuck) Presson Higgins of Wakefield, Virginia. The family sends special appreciation to Pat, Paul and Jen VanVolkinburg, Mikki Clark and Bruce Bower. Thanks also to the staff of the Valley Vista Care Center and the Fresenius Dialysis Center both of Sandpoint, Idaho for their excellent care and love that they gave Fields and our family. Finally, please accept our deepest appreciation to all the friends who visited him and sent encouraging notes during in his last days. We will all miss this incredible man, until we are all reunited in heaven. At Fields’ request, please consider making donations to the Natural Resources Defense Council, Save the Children, or the Panhandle Animal Shelter. A gathering to remember and celebrate Fields’ life will be held at a future date. Ultimately, what really matters is a courageous spirit and a generous heart, and Fields had both.