Happy Halloween, All Saints and All Souls Day!

Dear Hearts,

I'm sure you all have the candy and costumes in place, so I will wish you a happy and safe Halloween and offer a bit of history on the origins of this holiday:

While some people have connected Halloween to earlier pagan celebrations of the new year, Halloween actually has significant Catholic roots. The name itself comes from All Hallow’s Eve – that is, the Vigil of All Saints’ Day, when Catholics remember those who have gone before us to enter our heavenly home. Immediately afterward, on November 2, the Church commemorates all the faithful departed still detained in Purgatory, and prays in suffrage for them.

The word "Halloween" refers to the Feast of All Saints. The word itself is taken an older English term, “hallows,” meaning “holy,” and “e’en,” a truncation of the word "evening," in reference to the Vigil of the feast. --By Christopher Wells, Vatican News

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love, Patty

Happy Birthday, Matt!

Dear Hearts,

October 30th is the birthday of Matthew Wiley Sullivan, Sr.: father of Matty, Henry and Georgia; grandfather of Averee; son of Big Sully and Mary Claire; brother of Jim, Mary Fran, John, Mike, Anne, Jerry, Margy and Patty; uncle, nephew, cousin and friend to lots more folks.

Matt is living in Los Angeles now and has set up a comfortable apartment just south of the Sunset Strip with a great view of the Hollywood Hills. He has just retired from teaching high school English and History but continues working with students in his newly-established tutoring business. He also now has time to re-enter the world of acting and has secured a new agent and updated photos and media.

Happy Birthday, Matt, and may you have 61 more healthy ones, by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us fro
m harm.

Love,
Patty

Happy Birthday, Elianah!

Dear Hearts,

October 26th is the birthday of Elianah Merwin: daughter of Joe and Sondra; granddaughter of Mary Fran and Gary; cousin, niece and friend to many more.

Elianah (means God has answered our prayer in Hebrew) is growing up to be a beautiful, smart and talented young lady. Outside of school, she is a successful gymnast in Jacksonville, competing on the vault, bars, beam and floor. She also plays violin and has taken up tennis. In fact, she has been known to beat her own coaches on the court!

When Eli sets her mind to it, she will overcome whatever challenge is placed in her path. Yet, with all that strength, she continues to be a bountiful source of kindness and beauty to the world.

Happy Birthday, sweet Eli, and may you have 114 more healthy ones, by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love,
Patty

Happy Birthday, Anna!

Dear Hearts,

Anna is on the far right, starting
the school year at St. Gregory
with her siblings and cousins.

October 23rd is the birthday of Anna Margaret Herrington: daughter of Ella and Phillip Herrington; sister to Dee Dee, Joseph, John, Ruth, James, Agnes and Rose; granddaughter of Bob and Darlene and Eddie and Sylvia; cousin, niece and friend to dozens more lucky people.

Anna is six years old now and is a fine example to her baby sister. Happy birthday, sweet girl. May you have 119 more healthy ones, by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love,
Patty

Happy Birthday, Phillip!

Dear Hearts,

October 18th is the birthday of Phillip Andrew Herrington: son of Eddie and Sylvia; brother of Joseph, Audrey and James; husband of Ella; father of Dee Dee, Joseph, John, Ruth, James, Anna, Agnes and Rose; in-law, nephew, uncle, cousin and friend to so many more.

Teaching Theater Arts at Apollo High School in Glendale, Arizona, Phillip is also the sponsor for the school's Drama Club and directs the fall play and spring musical each year.

As a thespian, Phillip is a member of a several theater groups with credits that include "9 Circles," "Reasons to be Pretty," "Much Ado About Nothing," "Hamlet," "Stupid F#$%ng Bird," "The Motherf$%^er With The Hat," "The Whipping Man," "Romeo and Juliet," "The Desperate Hours,"All My Sons," and "The Crucible."

But most important is Phillip as a husband and father. He is smitten with his Ella, and all eight of their kids are the focus and pride of his mind and heart. 

Happy Birthday, Phillip, and may you have 82 more healthy ones, by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Anticipation of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love,
Patty

Happy Birthday, Brynn!

Dear Hearts,

October 16th is the birthday of Brynn Noelle Sullivan: daughter of Tim and Maureen; sister of Andrew; granddaughter of Bob and Darlene and Andrew and Phyllis; niece, cousin and friend to many more. Brynn is a beautiful blend of her mother and father--beautiful, smart, kind and funny!

Having moved to Southern California just a few years ago, Brynn took no time at all to make friends, get a job and get to know her new stomping grounds by cruising around in her truck. She is a senior in high school and has been enduring some pretty difficult health challenges lately. Please keep her in your prayers. Despite that, Brynn shows a stunningly beautiful smile and positive spirit.

And if you ever want to talk college football, Brynn is your girl!

Happy Birthday sweetheart, and may you have 107 more healthy ones, by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love,
Patty

Welcome Ivar James!

Dear Hearts,

October 13, 2020, we welcomed to the world Ivar James Sullivan: son of John and Mercy Sullivan; granddaughter of Jim and Erin Sullivan and Skip and Donna Gjolberg. Fitting of his Old Norse name, Ivar is a trailblazer as Darlene and Bob's first great grandchild!

Ivar weighed 7 lbs., 2 oz.,is 19.4 inches long and he and momma are both doing very well. Deo Gratias!

Welcome to the world tiny boy, and may you have 125 more healthy ones. by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love, Patty

Happy Birthday, Beatrice!

Dear Hearts,

Beatrice and Oscar, 2019

October 14th is the birthday of Beatrice Adelaide Sullivan: daughter of Mick and Mary; sister to Oscar and Georgia; granddaughter to Nancy Nau Sullivan, Jim and Bitsy, and George and Eleanor Reid; niece, cousin and friend to scores more lucky folks.

Beatrice swims on a team at the Decatur Family YMCA, competing in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. She loves to read and is a very intelligent girl. She is strong and dainty at the same time and brings lots of joy to her whole family.

Happy birthday, Little Bea, and may you have 114 more healthy ones, by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love,
Patty

Happy Birthday, Russ!

Dear Hearts,

October 12th is the birthday of Russ Brogdon: son-in-law of Whitey and Signe; husband of Dagne; father of Matthew and Nathaniel; in-law, cousin and friend to many more.

Russ is a Georgia man who has a fine reputation, takes good care of Dagne's beautiful heart and has earned the respect of Whitey. He is also a dedicated Georgia Bulldog fan who also enjoys golf and travel with his family. 

Happy Birthday, Russ, and may you have 83 more healthy ones by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love,
Patty

God Bless Maurice Maloney

Dear Hearts,

October 11th is the 134th anniversary of the birth of Maurice Moloney, brother of Kate Sheehan (Boom's mom who was called Nanny by Mary Claire and Helen). Maurice was born October 11, 1878.

When Jim was in Ireland in 1992, found the family farm there in Clare and visited with Nicholas FitzPatrick, Maurice's neighbor and oldest friend. Nicholas almost fainted when Jim got out of the car--he thought it was Maurice himself who had come back from the grave! Nicholas said, "You are the dead spit of Maurice. If you'd had a walking stick in your hand, I would have had a heart attack." Maurice died in his nineties in the 1970s.

Happy Birthday, Uncle Maurice. God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love,
Patty

God Bless Mary Fran

Dear Hearts,

October 11th is the 10th anniversary of the passing of Mary Fran Merwin: daughter of Big Sully and Mary Claire; sister of Jim, John, Mike, Matt, Anne, Jerry, Margaret and Patty; wife of Gary Merwin; mother of Joe, Katie, Luke and Maggie; grandmother to Ava, Henry, Elianah, Francesca and Inez; granddaughter, sister-in-law, cousin, aunt, niece and friend to so many more lucky folks.

She was larger than life in every way--so loving, smart, funny, professional, compassionate and kind. Sixteen years older than me, I had the joy and amazement of watching her get ready for dates--helping her choose what earrings to wear, smelling the Jean Nate perfume, getting to secretly try her lipstick.

In every phase of her life she amazed us all--as a college student, so independent and successful; as a young wife, so loving and creative; as a mother, so wise and nurturing; as a teacher and ultimately the principal of the largest high school in Wisconsin, so compassionate and professional. We are all better people to have known and loved her, and I pray we can all live up to her example.

We sure do miss you MF. Keep sending your messages and watching over us.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love,

Patrice Helen (said with a French accent, like MF would've sounded)

Happy Birthday, Budd!

Dear Hearts,

October 11th is the birthday of Brian Cusick: son of Budd and June; brother of Katherine, Linda, Debra and Bitsy; brother-in-law; uncle, cousin and friend to many more. Everyone calls him Budd.

Budd is the owner of Budd Autobody, the shop his dad opened in 1946 in Hammond, Indiana. He has ushered the shop into the 21st century beautifully and developed a state-of-the-art facility. It's a lot different from when he, at age five, began working with his dad, separating screws, washers and nuts into boxes. He was 10 when he painted his first car for a neighbor. He has truly made a name for himself as an honest and reputable business man in the Calumet Region.

While his business has an up-to-date and relevant Facebook page, Brian has eluded me in my hunt for a photograph of him. So I've included here pictures of the shop. It is one of the best-looking auto shops I've ever seen! (Let this be a lesson to the rest of you, if you don't send me updated info and photos, I must depend on the internet's resources.)

Happy Birthday Brian, and may you have 63 more healthy ones by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love,
Patty

Happy Birthday, Aunt Darlene!

Dear Hearts,

Many of her grandkids attend
St. Gregory Catholic School in Phoenix

October 10th is the birthday of our beloved Sullivan matriarch, mother, mother-in-law, aunt and grandmother, Darlene Shajin Silva Sullivan: Wife of Uncle Bob; mother (and mother-in-law) of John, Jim and Erin, Bobby and Nicole, Paul and Stephanie, Mike and Shelly, Tim and Maureen, Sister John Mary, Margaret and Paul Lewis, Ella and Phillip Herrington, Peter and Melody; aunt of the nine children of Big Sully and many more on the Silva side; grandmother of about 50 Sullivans, Lewises and Herringtons; and friend to so many more.

Aunt Darlene has always been Uncle Bob's beloved other half--strong and loving, faithful and smart. She is the beating heart of the family, an engine of love and courage. Living proof of this is the love and devotion shown by her nine living children. Whether they live far or near--Vancouver, British Columbia or right next door--each one and their families are in almost constant contact with Aunt Darlene, seeking her advice, discussing the world's challenges or laughing about the various antics of the clan.

Happy birthday, Aunt Darlene, and may you have 43 more healthy ones, by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love,
Patty

Happy Birthday, Kameron!

Dear Hearts,

October 6th is the birthday of Kameron Hanjani: son of Ali and Julie; brother of Shyhla and Leila; husband of Maggie; father of Francesca and Inez; inlaw, uncle, cousin, nephew and friend to many more.

Personally, Kam is as down-to-earth and friendly as they come, whether he's cheering on his Vikings, taking his girls on a weekend excursion, brewing beer or fishing like a pro. Professionally, Kam is an experienced draftsman and currently works as a Project Designer at Enclos, a specialty contractor that builds high performance curtainwall and facade systems. 

Happy Birthday, Kam, and may you have 89 more healthy ones, by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love,
Patty

Happy Birthday, Lizzy!

Dear Hearts,

October 5th is the birthday of Elizabeth Anne Glick Flores; daughter of Margaret and Brian; sister of Daniel; wife of Randy; and mama of Levi, Amos and Maggie; inlaw, niece, cousin and friend to many more. I was lucky enough to be in the room when Lizzy made her entrance into this world in 1984--one of the most profound moments of my life.

As a toddler, she captured everyone's hearts and attention, either through her cuteness (bowed legs and toddler beer belly with wispy hair and a button nose) or hilarious attitude (facing down Big Sully when necessary and unable to say her Ls or Rs). 

Lizzy is a creative, loving and hard-working woman. She and Randy have a lovely home in Mt. Baldy village with a prolific vegetable garden and cozy living space. Professionally, she has taken on a new challenge, working full-time at an education resource company that provides curriculum resources for schools. She is working from home, as most folks are doing, and is grateful to have Gigi and Baba taking care of the kids.

Happy birthday, Lizzy, and may you have 89 more healthy ones, by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love,
Patty

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad!

Dear Hearts,

Seventy three years ago today, James Patrick Sullivan and Mary Claire Wiley were married at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church on the Southside of Chicago. It was the Feast of St. Francis. They lived on earth as husband and wife for almost 43 years, and we pray they are in wedded bliss in heaven, along with their wedding party and families.

God bless us, and save us and keep us from harm.

Love,
Patty

Happy Birthday, Dee Dee!

Dear Hearts,

Dee Dee and Joey (I think😬)

October 2nd is the birthday of Darlene Sylvia Herrington, daughter of Phillip and Ella Sullivan Herrington and big sister of Joseph, John, Ruth, James, Anna and Agnes. She is the granddaughter of Bob and her namesake, Darlene, Sullivan. Her family calls her DeeDee.

She has started her sophomore year at St. Mary's and looks like her brother Joey joined her as well! Dee Dee has lived the life of a big sister with grace and I'm sure is a big help to her parents. She looks incredibly natural and competent when holding an infant. 

Happy birthday, Dee Dee, and may you have 111 more healthy ones, by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and keep us and save us from harm.

Love, Patty