Happy Birthday, Paul!

Dear Hearts,

February 16th is the birthday of Paul Alejandro Sullivan: son of Bob and Darlene; husband of Stephanie; brother of John, Jim, Bobby, Tim, Mike, Mary, Margaret, Ella and Peter; father of Hannah, Jack, Emma, Liam, Callum and Ewan; cousin, nephew, uncle and friend to scores of others. He has been called Pablo Diablo in the past.

Professionally, Paul is an impressive force with the training and skills of a lawyer, a salesman, a manager and a corporate director. More importantly, Paul is a true family man. He and his beloved Stephanie are raising strong, intelligent, faithful, hilarious kids in much the same way that Uncle Bob and Aunt Darlene raised theirs. It's clear that God is first and family is the next most important thing in his life.

Paul has been enjoying a successful (bow)hunting season in Arizona--he took Callum and Ewan out and brought home at least two javalinas. He and Stephanie have enjoyed a few vacations and the family is one of the best traveled groups in Phoenix!

So, Happy Birthday, Paul, 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, Evangeline!

Dear Hearts,

February 15th is the birthday of Evangeline Smoot Sullivan: daughter of Lindsay and Mike; sister of Violet; granddaughter of John and Nancy and Lee and David; niece of Maggie and Matt; cousin of Brandon; grand niece and little buddy to a bunch more!

According to her Heepa (her grandfather, John), Evan is as sweet as honey, as pure as gold and in love with her Nana (Nancy). This third grader is also talented in so many ways--creating beautiful art, stirring up tasty recipes, solving puzzles and more. She's a big fan of Mario Cart and loving buddy to her sister, Violet.

Happy birthday, sweet Evangeline, and may you have 117 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, Billy!

Dear Hearts,

Billy hiking with family and friends

February 13th is the birthday of William Harold Lewis: son of Paul and Margaret; brother of Mary Ella, PJ Jr., Bobby and Timmy; nephew, cousin, teammate and friend to a whole bunch more.

Billy has the athletic prowess of both his mom and dad and looks just like them both! How can that be? I spent a few hours on the beach with him a few summers ago and saw a mischievous grin and clever glint in his eyes that told me he is smart as a whip and can hold his own amongst the Phoenix Sullys. At the same time, his kindness and humor shone just as bright.

Happy Birthday, William Harold, and may you have 112 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, Andrew!

Dear Hearts,

Andrew, pictured here with his
mom and dad at Christmas 2021

February 13th is the birthday of Andrew William Sullivan: son of Tim and Maureen; brother of Brynn; cousin of dozens; nephew, friend and teammate to many more!

Andrew is growing into a fine, intelligent young man who is cruising through his school lessons at Huntington Beach High School. He has the natural gift of athleticism paired with a very humble heart. He also has the most beautiful head of curly hair!

Jim recalls fondly of the time he asked Andrew how he (Andrew) was going to be able to do something he aspired to, that sounded nearly impossible. Andrew said, "I'll ask God." His faith is strong, indeed.

Happy Birthday, Andrew, and may you have 109 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, Willis!

Dear Hearts,

February 13th is the birthday of Willis Sullivan Patrick Kimbel: son of Anne Sullivan Daly and Curt Kimbel; stepson of Malachy Daly; brother of Claire; nephew, cousin and friends to many, many more.

Willis is a superb natural athlete with impressive skills in so many sports--soccer, boxing, surfing, etc. He's become an ambassador of the sport of skateboarding and even has a line of skateboards and accessories named after him. Check it out on Amazon!

He's living in Portland, Oregon and continues to make his mark as a social media influencer and video producer. He loves his dog, Piper, a beautiful and smart Border Collie, as well as scallops and lobster. Check out this Creature video showcasing Willis' talents.

Happy birthday, Willis, 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

God Bless Susan

Dear Hearts,

February 12th is the 108th anniversary of the birth of Elizabeth Jane Flint White:, mother of Whitey; wife of Colonel Red: daughter of Justin and Sophia Flint. According to Whitey, somewhere along the line she acquired the nickname Susan--so altered her name unofficially--to Elizabeth Jane (Susan) Flint.

From Whitey:

Mom and my sister were evacuated from the Philippines in late 1940. Dad just made it out ahead of war on 5 Sep 1941 only to return to the Pacific a year later in Sep 1942. He fought there with the 129th and 148th Infantry Regiments in Fiji, New Georgia, Vella LaVella, Bougainville and the Philippines until wounded at Irisan near Baguio on 17 April 1945. Dad returned to the States through a series of hospitals and was not well enough to retire until Mar 1947 from Walter Reed Hospital in DC having joined the CIA the previous year.

So Mom had a pretty exciting start to married life moving to Texas, then the Philippines, before returning home without her husband of just three years with a one-year-old daughter to wait for Dad's return first from the Philippines, and then from 3 years of war, followed by two years of recuperation from injuries serious enough to warrant 100% disability.

I arrived in 1947 and my brother followed in 1949, much to the chagrin of our older and very spoiled big sister. But Mom ran a great family and we all loved her a great deal. Our four kids called her Oma Sue; my sister's kids called her Sweetie - which stuck. Mom died 3 April 1999 from congestive heart failure after a bout with dementia in Vero Beach, FL surrounded by her kids and grandkids. She was buried at West Point where Dad joined her 7 years later. Together they rest in peace under the gravestone Jim helped design.

Dad's Memoirs are dedicated to his wife of 61+ years. The inscription reads, "I'd like to dedicate this book to my wife, Sue. Much of what I talk about would never have been possible without her love and support. She died peacefully in her sleep on Saturday, 3 April 1999. I know she has gone straight to heaven."

Thanks for including her in those you honor as family and in our prayers.

Whitey

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

Love, Patty

God Bless Aunt Anna Rita

Dear Hearts,

February 11th is the 99th anniversary of the birth of Anna Rita Sullivan, Order of Preachers: daughter of Lefty and Anna; sister to Jim, Bob and Margaret; Aunt to 19 of us and our spouses; friend to so many. Aunt Anna Rita was a Dominican nun, servant of the poor, epitome of motherhood to literally thousands of little ones, encourager of immigrants, forgiver of fools, one who loved, always and everywhere.

She was born in Chicago and died in Phoenix on August 18, 2006, in the 62nd year of her Religious Profession, surrounded by much of her family. She is buried in the Adrian Dominican Sisters Cemetery alongside Aunt Margaret.

I have such fond memories of the Aunties coming to visit us in Munster. They would drive up in their yellow Plymouth Dart and come up the front walkway with their habits flowing in the breeze. It amazed me how they confounded my dad, Big Sully, by serving refugees in El Salvador who were trying to re-establish life in a new and strange place in the early 1980s. They lived and worked in danger and it drove dad crazy not to be able to protect them.

Aunt Anna Rita, along with Aunt Margaret, served the Catholic community in Danville, Arkansas, working for ten years to build St. Andrew Catholic Church there. She educated me in nutrition when I had gestational diabetes in the 1990s, and counseled me through genetic testing when I was diagnosed with breast cancer the first time in 2004. She was so smart and so caring.

You all know the story of her "meeting the train" when Big Sully came home to Union Station in Chicago, after the fourth telegram saying he would arrive. The first three, over a three year period, all stated that he had been shot down (which he had) and that he was believed to be dead. So no one believed the fourth one.

Except Anna Rita. She met the train. And the 200 pound athlete, now seriously wounded, weighing 130 pounds, jammed down real hard with what we now know was post-traumatic stress, got off the train, hollow-eyed, alone. And there was his sister, willing to have her heart broken again on the chance that he would be there. He (and she) never forgot that, and held it like the precious bond it is, between them forever more.

Happy Birthday in heaven, Auntie. Thanks for your goodness, your example, your kindness and tolerance, and advice, and your endless love.

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

Love, Patty