Longtime LV chef, deli owner Fields dies at 73

Debra D. Bass

Thursday, June 26, 1997 | 11:48 a.m.

Jack Fields, a chef and deli owner who happily gave his culinary secrets to help his many friends at other restaurants, died Tuesday of complications of cancer treatments. He was 73.

Fields, a World War II Navy veteran, is the former owner of Jackie's Deli, one of the first in the area, which he operated in Commercial Center on East Sahara Avenue from 1964 to 1975.

"Everybody who was anybody came to meet and eat there. It was great," his wife, Corrine, said.

She said the appeal extended beyond the food, to one simple policy that "everyone was his family."

"He greeted everyone with a smiling face that gave you this feeling of closeness," she said.

Fields, a 33-year resident of Las Vegas, became a friend to local chefs as a colleague and then a wholesale food broker.

"A lot of chefs are secretive about their dishes, but Jackie was always one to give you a helpful hint or tips -- just an extra twist to make a difference and to make something better," said Michael Ty, executive chef at Lawry's Steakhouse.

One of his best friends, Frank Insera, executive chef at the Klondike Inn, said Fields would go out of his way to help, even up to his last days.

"You pick up the phone and needed something and he'd always say 'no problem.' When you weren't sure of something, he was always coming up with ideas. It was like being around Santa Claus 365 days of the year," Insera said of their 20-year friendship.

With a stove in his office, Fields prepared samples and delivered them hot for local chefs looking to expand or update their food selections. Insera said Fields helped with menu items at numerous local restaurants.

For years, Fields and Insera met weekly for lunch, and with the proliferation of restaurants in the area, the duo always searched for something different. But the former Jewish deli owner had a passion for Chinese food.

Despite falling prey to side-effects of radiation and chemotherapy, Fields stopped working just two weeks ago.

Fields' friends from the Fraternity of Executive Chefs of Las Vegas are expected to attend his funeral today, donning their white coats to honor him, Ty said. Graveside services were to be held this morning at Woodlawn Cemetery. Palm Mortuary handled arrangements.

He is survived by his wife; two sons, Jay and Rick; two brothers, Irving and Richard; four grandchildren and one great grandchild.

The family suggests donations in his name to the Synagogue Adat Ari El, 3310 S. Jones Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89102

His wife likely summed up his qualities best: "He was a very self-effacing person. He never looked for honor, he just did what he did quietly without looking for applause."