Richard Fields has been cooking most of his life, starting in his grandmother’s kitchen and, later, as a teenager with summer and afterschool jobs in Cape Cod.

Fields is applying that experience today after being appointed head chef at Thornton Oaks Retirement Community dining services.

His experiences as a youth led him to acquire a culinary degree from Newbury College in Brookline, Mass., prior to starting his career as a professional chef.

He said his cooking experience ranges from a high-end country club private resort to a restaurant in a historic house.

“If I had a penny for every swordfish I broiled …,” he mused recently.

It was as a chef at Stratton Mountain ski resort in Vermont where he met his future wife; they were married at the base of the mountain.

After their move to Portland, he worked for the Canteen Service Company, which involved him with food services for L.L. Bean and Pineland Farms, running corporate cafeterias and overseeing events at conference centers.

Fields also has experience in the hotel industry, managing weddings and events.

“My lifestyle has always been as a corporate chef with a schedule that required hours not necessarily conducive to family life,” says Fields, who has two young sons. “I am now enjoying the more structured position here at Thornton Oaks.”

He said residents of Thornton Oaks are very appreciative, which he finds “fun and fulfilling.”