William C. Fields III, 90, of Fayetteville, died Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007, in his home. A memorial celebration will be held at a later date. Mr. Fields was a member of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts. He was a well-known portrait painter and patron of the arts. Mr. Fields was founder of the Fayetteville Ballet. He was also a genealogist and an N.C. historian of renown. Mr. Fields is survived by his brother, Joe Fields of Fayetteville; nieces, Irene Moeller of Virginia Beach, Va., and Kay Fields and Carolyn Palmer, both of Fayetteville; and great-niece, Liouba Laederich of Switzerland.