Richard A. Sullivan, 79, husband, father, uncle and beloved friend, died on September 14, 2021 of cancer. Rick was a New Years baby in 1942, the eldest son of Celeste and Francis R. Sullivan, an officer in the United States Army. Along with Rick’s brother Bill and sister Pam, they traveled all over the world and made their home in Connecticut, China, Massachusetts, Kansas, France, Germany and Virginia. Like his father, Rick got a date at West Point. He graduated in 1965 and toured Vietnam twice in the Corps of Engineers. He married his wife Mary (née Heckel) on December 31, 1966. He received an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1971 and pursued a career in manufacturing operations. Rick’s professional career took him to Connecticut, Ontario and Ohio as a manufacturing executive, before returning to Connecticut to open his own business with his wife and son, Business Card Express of Connecticut in Southington, then to Cheshire, which operated for 23 years. Rick was a nature lover, and an avid skier and hiker. As retirement neared, Rick took up more leisure time, joining the Hartford Bridge Club and Mount Laurel Skiers. Mount Laurel became the center of Rick and Mary’s social life for many years, and the friendships they made there were some of the most important in Rick’s life. Rick came to the service of the club as treasurer, also working at the club lodge in Ludlow, VT, and in his preferred role as co-chair of the hiking group with Jeanne Delahanty, leading and organizing hikes throughout the New England. Rick had a special love for some of the most difficult trails in the White Mountains and spent many days skiing in Killington and Okemo, as well as regular visits to Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico with his extended family. Rick was a rock to the people who knew him, always ready with support, help and love. In his final days, Rick mostly talked about skiing, hiking, family, and his 54-year partnership with Mary. Rick is survived by his wife Mary H. Sullivan, son Michael Sullivan and wife Kristen Dunn, sister Pam and children Kelly McCloskey Romero and husband Ricardo Romero and their children Celeste, Felicia and Gabriela; Dan McCloskey and his wife Priscilla and their children Keith and Helen; Tom Tumolillo Jr.; Amédée Tumolillo; Beth Marr and her husband JD and their children Sydney and Trevor, the family of her late brother Bill: Nance Crow-Sullivan and her children David Tod and his wife Charity and their children Zelda and Roland; Malli Saunders and her husband Mike, sister of Mary Ann Oppenheimer and her brother Richard Heckel, her cousins ​​Noel Dardani, and his wife Mary, and Marty Dardani, and his wife Linda and their families. Memorial services will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Habitat for Humanity, Doctors Without Borders, or a charity of your choice. For online condolences, please visit www.tierneyfuneralhome.com.
Posted by Hartford Courant on Sep 22, 2021.
