It is with great sadness that we announce Matthew John Fields passed away on September 23, 2026.

Matt was born on March 10, 1966 in Alexandria, Virginia to parents John Fields and Joanne Streight. In his early years, he lived in Montana including Miles City, Missoula, and Lewistown. His family moved to Los Angeles, California in 1980.

Matt began his aerospace career in 1989 in the configuration management department at the Rocketdyne facility in Canoga Park, California. Driven by determination, intelligence, and a strong work ethic, he quickly advanced into increasingly complex technical roles. This path led him to a test support position at the Space Power Electronic Laboratory (SPEL), a specialized facility dedicated to designing, verifying, and testing electrical power systems (EPS) hardware and software for NASA’s International Space Station (ISS) program. In this role, Matt was instrumental in the early development and testing of critical ISS power systems.

In 1999, Matt relocated to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida as a lead launch site test engineer with Boeing-Rocketdyne for the outboard truss organization. He directed test conductances during complex spacecraft assembly and integration operations, earning a reputation as a go-to leader for troubleshooting the program's most challenging issues. In recognition of his outstanding dedication, Matt received the prestigious Space Flight Awareness Award alongside numerous other accolades. As a senior test engineer, he successfully led testing for all outboard truss missions through the completion of ISS assembly in 2011.

Following the construction phase, Matt transitioned into a sustaining and maintenance engineering role. He spent the remainder of his career ensuring ISS flight hardware components were fully tested and compliant prior to launch for critical resupply missions. An integral member of the Boeing ISS team, Matt's expertise and dedication played a vital role in the enduring success of the International Space Station.

Outside of his career, Matt’s greatest passions were motorcycles, photography, and music. During vacations, he enjoyed riding his motorcycles and taking photos all over the country, most frequently riding to North Carolina. He captured stunning pictures of nature, motorcycle riding, and landmarks. When not traveling, Matt loved to go to the beach to take photos, especially of sunrises and sunsets. He also photographed his motorcycles, old launch pads at Kennedy Space Center, rocket launches, and animals. He shared his photos with those he cared about and had a Flickr account with over 8,000 photographs.

Matt made a lasting impression with his sense of humor, compassion, and generosity. Matt could make you laugh, even on the hardest days. He was always willing to help when those he cared for were in need. He was a wonderful father, grandfather, and friend. He was deeply loved by those who knew him and will be dearly missed.

He is survived by his children, James and Heather Fields; granddaughter, Olivia Fields; siblings, Annie and Dave Fields; niece and nephew, Lindsey and Ian; step-siblings, Greg, Jeff, and Chris Geller; and cousin, Mary Reynolds. 

Matt was preceded in death by his mother, Joanne Streight in 1976; cousin, Hugh O’Connor in 1995; uncle, Carroll O’Connor in 2001; brother, Jeffery Fields in 2007; aunt, Nancy O’Connor in 2014; and father, John Fields in 2024.