God Bless Lefty

Dear Hearts,

May 31st is the anniversary of the birth of John Jeremiah "Lefty" Sullivan: our patriarch, grandfather, great grandfather and great-great-grandfather. He was born in Chicago in 1893 and died on July 7, 1958.

He was the youngest of six, second brother, son of Jeremiah Barry O’Sullivan from Limerick, and Anna Meany from Clare. At 5' 10" tall and 185 lbs., John was a graceful athlete who was awarded a scholarship to play football at Notre Dame as a split end--today's wide receiver. John turned it down to sign with the White Sox in about 1911. He played in the minor league system until WWI broke out.

He was the first generation of us born here, and the first of us to go into the U.S. Army. Three generations of his descendants have since served in that same Army. John was in a cavalry unit and shortly after he reported to the front line the Armistice was signed.

 
Back home, his rookie year in the big leagues was 1919, the year of the Black Sox scandal. He appeared four times. After that, the Sox were busted up and Lefty pitched semi-pro ball for 25 more years. You can read an extensive article about Lefty on the Society of American Baseball Research website here.

He met and married Anna Conick--who we called Booma or Mom--and started their family. Although they lived in Chicago, my dad, James P. Sullivan Sr., was born in Beloit, Wisconsin, as Left was playing up there when Booma went into labor unexpectedly.

After baseball, he worked selling insurance in Chicago, playing pool in the summers to feed the family and ran unsuccessfully for alderman. He always wore a white shirt and a tie, shined his shoes and sported clean fingernails.

He died on July 7, 1958 of a heart attack in Chicago a man loved by many and missed by all.

God bless you, Lefy. Please keep on eye on us all until we meet, God willing, in heaven.

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

Love, Patty

Happy Birthday, Maureen!

Dear Hearts,

May 29th is the birthday of Maureen Sullivan: wife of Tim; mother of Brynn and Andrew; daughter of Phyllis and Andrew; sister, aunt, daughter, cousin and friend to so many more. While another year has passed, Maureen does not seem to age--she is as beautiful as ever!

Mo continues to bless us with her beauty that is backed up with a super sharp wit, intelligence and an abiding faith that continues to amaze me. Mo has been challenged physically for years and has chosen to see goodness in her suffering. Whether we know it or not, we all benefit from Maureen's indomitable prayer life. Thank you, Mo.

Born and raised in Mahwah, NJ, Mo give anyone a run for their money in a debate. She is a grad of the University of Dallas and a student of the great philosophical minds of the Church. It's hilarious to hear her banter with some of the men in her family, and amazing to see how much she loves her dogs. She is glad to be living in So. Cal., just a stone's throw from the beach.

Happy birthday, Mo, and may you have 78 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, Mia!

Dear Hearts,

Mia celebrating her brother Seamus'
high school graduation.

May 21st is the birthday of Mia Rose Sullivan: daughter of Mike and Shelly; sister of Jake, Seamus, Augustine, Sofia, Penelope and Max; granddaughter of Bob and Darlene and Don and Judy; niece, cousin and friends to scores more lucky folks.

Mia is wrapping up her sophomore year at St. Mary with a few of her cousins and continues to show the world she is an intelligent, happy and kind young woman. She is a loving sister and daughter, a loyal friend and a real pleasure to be around.

Happy Birthday, sweet Mia, and may you have 109 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, Maggie!

Dear Hearts,

May 21st is the birthday of Margaret Frances Sullivan: daughter of John and Nancy; sister of Michael and Matthew; mama of Brandon; auntie of Evangeline and Violet; niece, cousin and friends of dozens more. 

Maggie is one of the sweetest and most humble women I know and a wonderful blend of her mom and dad. And now little Brandon has shown us that she is a wonderful mother! Having spent family time in Virginia, the next generation of this clan are getting to know each other. And Heepa (John) witnessed Brandon's younger cousin advising him that she is his Uncle Violet. The pecking order has been established. 😂

Maggie's humor brings light to every conversation, and her creativity fascinates the mind. All this wrapped up in such a beautiful young woman with a kind and loving heart.

Happy birthday, Maggie, and may you have 88 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, Candace!

Dear Hearts,

May 18th is the birthday of Candace Gatuso Lore, wife of Joseph Lore, mother of two beautiful girls, and dear friend of Sarah Cassaro Sullivan.

She was born in New Orleans, the sixth of 10 children and moved to Chicago in 2003 with Joseph for a change of scenery. Candace works as an RN full time at St. Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center as a cardiac/telemetry nurse and as a registry nurse at Norwegian American. She met Sarah while working together at the Smokedaddy in 2007...and Miles through Sarah.

When Candace is in the group, it's down home--her family is like ours--and she is the warmest and most comfortable type of person there is.

Happy Birthday, Candace, and may you have 85 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, Claire!

Dear Hearts,

May 16th is the birthday of Claire Elizabeth Clevenger: daughter of Hal and Mercy Clevenger; sister of Molly; granddaughter of Helen and John Whalen; great-granddaughter of Boom Boom and Boompa; niece, cousin and friend to scores of lucky folks.

Claire lives in Big Sky, Montana and is a living, breathing legacy of so many who came before her. Her creativity, adventurous pursuits, wonderful humor and strong independence remind us all of her sister, mom, aunts and grandmothers. 

Claire loves travel and adventure and recently took time to explore our n
ation's first National Park--Yellowstone. Working in the restaurant industry, I'm hoping she is ramping up service as the restrictions of Covid-19 ease. Claire is a talented bartender and server who creates amazing dishes at home too.

Happy Birthday, Claire, and may you have 91 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, Mary Ella!

Dear Hearts,

From left: Melody, Paul, Margaret, Stephanie,
Dee Dee and Mary Ella at the Cowtown Half Marathon

May 14th is the birthday of Mary Ella Lewis: daughter of Paul and Margaret; sister of PJ, Robert, William and Timothy; niece, cousin and friend to many more. She is one of four of our women with Ella in her name. This group includes her Auntie Ella (who is Darlene Ella); her first cousin Ella Marie (Bobby’s daughter); her second cousin Frances Ella (Jim's daughter); and herself.

This Ella is the proverbial Irish beauty--as lovely as her mama, and as good as her daddy. She has grown up to be a strong yet quiet young woman who shows great humor and grace in everyday life. She recently joined other family members in Forth Worth in May to run a half marathon in memory of a family friend. Mary ran faster than the average woman and finished in 2 hours, 14 minutes and 14 seconds! She placed 484th of 1,555 woman!

Happy Birthday, Mary Ella, 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

God Bless June

Dear Hearts,

May 10th is the 97th anniversary of June Doe Cusick's birth. She was born in Illinois on May 10, 1924, and died at age 41 in 1965. She was the wife of Edgar Allen "Bud" Cusick, and mother of Kathy, Linda, Debbie and Brian, and most importantly to us, Elizabeth Ann "Bitsy" Cusick Sullivan, who looks just like her.

June was famously witty and vivacious, she was crazy about Bud, and was drop-dead gorgeous. Bitsy misses her all the time. I wish I had known her.

June succumbed to cancer when Bitsy was 19. So Bitsy went a long time without a mother, and then had Mom for 17 years, and she and Mom were good friends. I can't help but think that Mom and June would have also been good friends.

June lives in memory, and in the faces of her children, and grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Thank you, June, for Bitsy, and please watch over us all.

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

Love, Patty

Happy Birthday, Kat!

Dear Hearts,

May 9th is the birthday of Kathleen Lawrence: wife of Jim's West Point classmate and brother, Kerry Lawrence, Esq.

Kat is more than just a classmate's wife. She has served the Academy and the Nation for over a decade as a mentor at the class-sponsored National Conference on Ethics in America at West Point every year. She is a clinical psychotherapist who provides business consulting, coaching, mediation services, couple, child and family therapy and parent coaching through her private practice in Washington.

Jim offers this:

"Kat helps suffering humanity every day and is one of the most compassionate and empathetic and gentle souls I have ever met. She loves my classmate Kerry, who is as big a knucklehead as all the Brothers, despite his many accomplishments (he is our class's James Madison, having single-handedly written the class constitution), with all her big heart. Though hit with a debilitating condition in her youth, she fights it and succeeds on a day-to-day basis with remarkable courage and composure."

Jim discovered something astonishing about our familial connection with Kat:

"Anne and Kat and Bitsy are great friends, and when I see them together, I am struck by how much they are so like the groups of Irish women we grew up with--their speech and mannerisms and laughter. Then I noticed that Kat reminds me startlingly of Boom Boom and when I asked questions, it turns out she is from Clare! And her mother and female relatives are Moloneys, Fitzgeralds, Sheehans and McNamaras! Boom Boom was a Sheehan, and her mother was a Moloney, and her mother was a Fitzgerald, and her mother was a MacNamara! And they are all from Clare! Got to be the same gene pool."

So Happy Birthday, Kathleen, dear and long-time friend, and may you have 57 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 & Jim

Happy Birthday, Will!

Dear Hearts,

May 7th is the birthday of William Patrick Babbington: son of Sean and Elizabeth; step son of Dick Harlan; brother of Steve, Chris and Tucker; husband of Kate Merwin; father of Mia and Emma; step dad of Ava and Henry; nephew, uncle, cousin and friend to many more folks.

Professionally, Will is an architect--the Principal Facade Design Director at Studio NYL in Denver. The initials behind his name, however, indicate he's so much more than that! He's been working in that world since 1998 as both an architect and a structural engineer. He calls himself an Individual Facade Geek and successfully walks a line "between aesthetic and performance, inside and outside, transparency and opacity, structure and thermal, and vision and realization."

Personally, he is cultured, kind, loving and generous. You might find him backpacking in the mountains or enjoying a museum in the city. And his personal time is always about family. Will, Kate and their children share a beautiful life, always arranging time for each other, and keeping the children as top priority. And they do this while living some of the time in two separate states! His latest project at home is the design and building by hand a deck and outdoor kitchen with the help of Luke and Tucker.

Happy Birthday, Will, and may you have 79 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 Mom

Dear Hearts,

Granny in her garden in 1987

May 6th, 2011 Mary Claire Rita Wiley Sullivan is the day our Mom passed into the arms of God. She was the daughter of Fran and Irwin V. Wiley (Boom Boom and Boompa); sister of Helen; wife of Jim, sister-in-law of John, Bob, Darlene, Sr. Anna Rita and Sr. Margaret; mother of Jim, Mary Fran, John, Mike, Matt, Anne, Jerry, Margy and Patty; mother-in-law, grandmother; great-grandmother; aunt; cousin and friend of hundreds more.

She was a woman of terrific wit, faith, humor, intelligence and love. Her great gift was always to love and to be loved. Indeed, one of her favorite songs was "Love Makes the World Go 'Round." Mom's legacy--her children, grandchildren and greats--continue to share her gifts in this world: creating beautiful gardens, cooking delicious food, making people laugh, caring for others, teaching and entertaining children.

Born in Chicago on August 4, 1926, Mary Claire danced on the Irish radio show in Chicago as a young girl, and could do the "shtep" and the Blackbird until her little frame wouldn't support her. Men loved to dance with her.

She was a pre-med student at Marquette in 1946 when she met Dad. He was head over heels in love with her and she with him. Now she rests with him at the National Cemetery in Riverside, CA.

We miss you and love you, Mom. Please continue to watch over all of us down here.

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

Love, Patty

Happy Birthday, Mick!

Dear Hearts,

May 4th is the birthday of Donald Nicholas "Mick" Sullivan: son of Jim and Nancy; stepson of Bitsy; brother of Jim III, Amos, Miles, and Franny; husband of Mary; father of Oscar, Beatrice and Lucille; uncle, nephew, cousin and friend of many more. My favorite memory of Mickey is his tiny scratchy voice when he was a toddler.

Mick practices at Decatur Orthopedic Center, specializing in joint replacement procedures, trauma/fractures and general orthopedics. A simple web search reveals that there doesn't seem to be a part of the skeleton he can't fix.

He is a proud husband and father and delights in his family. To hear him speak of his children is so nice--he is continually amazed and enamored of their creativity and work ethic.

Happy Birthday, Mick, and may you have 76 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, Amanda!

Dear Hearts,

April 3rd is the birthday of Amanda Leann Glick: daughter of Jerry and Diana; sister of Kevin; wife of Daniel; niece, auntie, cousin and friend to scores more. Amanda has been a wonderful example of patience and creativity through quarantining for the Covid-19 pandemic.

She is one of the sweetest women I've ever known, yet strong in so many ways. Amanda has owned and operated her own pilates studio, she is an expert horsewoman, terrific cook and loyal friend. And her sense of humor is excellent--creeping up on you in a delightful way.

As the wife of a firefighter, she is self sufficient and beautifully supportive of Daniel. As a mother, she is happy, nurturing and patient. As a result, Holden is a happy and content little guy. Amanda has recently enrolled in school and is looking forward to intellectual pursuits as well.

Happy birthday, Amanda, and may you have 93 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, Jeremiah!

Dear Hearts,

May 2nd is the birthday of Jeremiah Mitchel Sullivan: son of Bobby and Nicole; brother of Ella, Thomas and Patrick; nephew, cousin and friend to many, many more. Jeremiah carries the name of our ancestor, Jeremiah O'Sullivan (Lefty's dad), who was the first of our Y-chromosome to reach these shores in about 1868.

In the past year, Jeremiah ended his work as an administrative officer and database coordinator at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty in Washington D.C. and has enrolled at the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. He married Clare Kuzma last summer and the two have set up their beautiful new life in Maryland.

Happy birthday, Miah, and may you have 100 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