--- title: He lost his wife to Alzheimer's. How he's honoring her memory is inspiring. description: Noel Field lost his wife to Alzheimer's disease. The way he's honoring her memory is inspiring, and important. image: https://www.butler.org/hubfs/banner-noel-field.jpg --- - [**Pay My Bill](https://www.carenewengland.org/pay/butler-hospital/) - [**Careers](https://www.butler.org/careers) - [**Donate](https://www.butler.org/ways-to-give) - [**My Chart](https://www.carenewengland.org/mychart) - [**+1 (844) 401-0111](tel:+1%20(844)%20401-0111) [![CNE Butler Behavioral Health](https://www.butler.org/hs-fs/hubfs/-%20CNE/CNE%20-%202026%20Branding/CNE%20Butler%20Behavioral%20Health.png?width=1200&height=475&name=CNE%20Butler%20Behavioral%20Health.png)](https://www.butler.org/) ** #### Site Search ** ** ![ # He lost his wife to Alzheimer's. How he's honoring her memory is inspiring. [![Memory and Aging Home](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/6898349/eeeb8931-f74d-4d06-b8e6-7f218fca51ea.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/6898349/eeeb8931-f74d-4d06-b8e6-7f218fca51ea)   [![Clinical Trials](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/6898349/195ac971-e993-4ccb-93e6-a9107c1092e6.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/6898349/195ac971-e993-4ccb-93e6-a9107c1092e6)  [![Prevention Registry](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/6898349/f15528e5-3c25-4ab1-b725-ac8468609172.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/6898349/f15528e5-3c25-4ab1-b725-ac8468609172)  [![News & Events](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/6898349/faf3de21-22f4-42e9-b15c-5ed7ef5b4bb7.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/6898349/faf3de21-22f4-42e9-b15c-5ed7ef5b4bb7)  [![Volunteer](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/6898349/94f16df1-1430-4aad-b1bf-b4c32d45ebc6.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/6898349/94f16df1-1430-4aad-b1bf-b4c32d45ebc6)   News from the [Memory and Aging Program at Butler Hospital](https://www.butler.org/memory) May, 2021 > #### "I've been a small boat sailor all my life. I met my wife at a wedding; she was the maid of honor. As I was going through the receiving line, the bride introduced us and said 'This is Phyllis, she sails'. And it took off from there. #### ![Noel Field](https://www.butler.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Noel-Field.jpg?width=400&name=Noel-Field.jpg) A year and a half later we were married. We had four children, and now six grandchildren. She was a very good sailor herself, a very good organizer. She was the first female commodore of a yacht club on Narragansett Bay, at the Sakonnet Yacht Club. I had been commodore a few years before that.   Phyllis died of Alzheimer's a year and 3 months ago. She had been on the Butler Hospital board of directors for 35 years and devoted a lot of time there. So after her passing I let them know I would do anything to help out. That's how I became a participant in Alzheimer's research at the [Memory and Aging Program](https://www.butler.org/memory).   For the last year I've been participating in a [research study](https://www.butler.org/memory/clinical-trials) at the program, showing up on a regular basis to receive an investigational drug, or a placebo, I don't know which I'm getting. At 86, I don't know what comes next, or if I'm really worried about it.   But this was important for me to do, because of Phyllis." Noel Field is 86 years old and a Providence, RI native. He graduated from Moses Brown School. He earned his undergraduate degree at Brown University and then his law degree at Harvard, going on to practice law in Providence for decades until his retirement in 1999. For 40 years he was also a US Sailing Association certified judge, settling protests between competitive sailors.   To learn more about the Memory and Aging Program and enrolling research studies focused on Alzheimer’s prevention and treatment, visit [www.butler.org/memory](https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.butler.org%2Fmemory%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0PrHcxGqJHDcqGzNhK-yx6LpqZc0dSla1lTMM3D__4kf90qKc8kosESzs&h=AT3G4D1rwdJ5rAcNwQaag1PXhPveTqd16xhCLwtD2qmwVoS1AbX1m4nFFtXIeCtYITzAuBm4nv6dHq1kiBnCHsxhI9U2EW5fk2ZbVBtSYB_C2ROzjnQ3J1ojBpVn6InrZMlv2SI4fmiCa6RLVKqQqFLQu4S4WhetTO1D1ZcridVU1DRV8D0FkSZ2MRIsporLzr8Ovccs6aIn3osWFvoBWcZR8gQdzu7oSYBK8Wy4P0dv6iluRvuZ6Pqgg_rzC3y_xZyonmgrbX5FMMoDKOdnaL1Xg1cKUBZbV4tGz70QbBJVBIseEg9jvKTc39OVaJbfCq6isAzsSJa3iCXqIgv1g_oySwkc2U2l5jVxqPYgjMPV2YAkJOWTQW16ItP8IQPgCe1kKKIn3ZeRhl8Wy8blIO_d7Yv_LPufElDkooUlo05B6EvLWNPTUwUUGZ36ek5UGZVxEC2jMjm_92fzWnfbZOWNBbRzMa7jk0O9Bbgh7agZnx5_sCljyoJ_aWDCY43mElhV0kIGKaauP-CUC2oOqbUqVgLlqCTZ337biiGdUD-Qhhgpuwa0fwH7) or join Butler’s Prevention registry at [butler.org/AlzRegistry](https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fbutler.org%2FAlzRegistry%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR1iNSCZdovA8njX6M_G2ZBs5VKnpLtqLyvCKdpwzOiGvesIo2aVfj9GW8o&h=AT3CC2c93r5M_PxWWnBrggI3yeAZYWsCe8dpQYX25q9Udu-ywkdtbrVxx5ylGrYRlWQxbJCR2Vd0C_AaA58TROZKMKIGwLwB15-2ZiqU4acxWdO4WwqwZrk72xLsvBQF3rjejQRbR0GaEki3UYpWZJ2jNJNtr1jOcItpK4lo56OsPboo_fHsxnUvw2nIwh6wr9TnxPqyjyMkGzNwf1RU_LLncGmI_l5jXVRiJyyb7IO7h8VL39erlSzPVhLZ_YZqkQJffYcdlZb2jXVzGNt5jg4wRhKdcFlBeQaP480I67-GfF5Z6WsyaM2S89m6oGb6SAiTPSRHCFpwuCNBzv5-1IWNZj_D-j7Rbj0r3rScBZQS55qbkMY2xhWpyXd0cb5ug4tevY93p6aOdLiwqzSiHgCZ01qv-xPAew_TYZv57Z9eEpBiczBAszd45DiThlr7NBCoBIMSw1nphJpt_W83DqsziTtNK2JSUE3EPXC_IMgcBVagSOBF7-POKaOapBqEahnp6OaL6_NL0C9ooj6NK5ScCj1czv6vnO3DFzi6fH87pYWilXXHeEGO) to see if you qualify for any enrolling studies.     ### Explore More from The Memory and Aging Program at Butler Hospital   - [Memory and Aging Program Home](https://www.butler.org/memory) - [Clinical Trials for Alzheimer's Prevention and Treatment](https://www.butler.org/memory/clinical-trials) - [Join the Alzheimer's Prevention Registry](https://www.butler.org/memory/alzheimers-prevention-registry) - [News and Events](https://www.butler.org/memoryandaging) - [Volunteer](https://www.butler.org/memory/volunteer) - [Donate](https://www.butler.org/memory/donate) ***Disclaimer: ****The content in this blog is for informational and educational purposes only and should not serve as medical advice, consultation, or diagnosis. 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