John M. Sullivan
October 18, 1925 – March 31, 2021
Born and raised in Dorchester Lower Mills. Son of Nora Walsh Sullivan (County Cork) and Michael Joseph Sullivan (County Kerry). John’s brothers were Dan Sullivan and Ed Sullivan; John’s sisters were Helen McGoldrick and Marian Wallace.
Devoted husband of Mary (Tobey) Sullivan (Wellesley) and Ruth E. Sullivan (pre-deceased). Loving father of Chris Sullivan (Salem), Michael Sullivan (West Hartford, CT), Julie Babineau (West Roxbury), Daniel Sullivan (Natick), Mark Sullivan (Weston, CT), and Ellen Sullivan (Natick). Favorite father-in-law of Amit Ghosh, Kathleen Sullivan, and Krista Trousdale. Beloved grandfather of Jenn Gaff, Colleen Lavendier, Molly Sullivan, Matt Sullivan and Bela Ghosh.
John was both blessed and a blessing – he was blessed by marrying the two women he loved the most and was fortunate enough to have been loved by them. He was also blessed with six wonderful children and five delightful grandchildren who loved him to pieces. But just as important, he was a blessing to all who met him – he was the gift that kept on giving.
Growing up in Boston, John had the normal idyllic childhood for those born into a large Irish Catholic family. With the onset of World War II, John’s life changed dramatically. John “borrowed” his older brother Dan’s birthday and enlisted at an early age in the Navy/Seabees and served in the South Pacific. Stationed in the Eniwetok Atolls, John operated heavy construction equipment to help create air strips out of coral for the US troops. Injured in a construction accident, John returned to the United States, traveling by hospital train from California to Maryland and eventually to rehab at the Boston Brighton Marine Hospital.
Once healed, John completed his GED and then, thanks to the GI Bill, earned a bachelor’s degree from Boston University. He spoke fondly about this experience throughout his life, valuing his exposure to a larger world and the life-long friends he met. His exposure to the arts remained a passion -- he thoroughly enjoyed exposing his children and grandchildren to museums, photography, music and the fine arts. Eventually John completed his education at UMass Boston where he earned an M.Ed. While focusing on his education, his friends noted that John always had time for regular handball games at the Huntington Avenue YMCA as well as his other passion – barbershop quartet singing.
A man of many interests and talents, John had a wide variety of jobs in his early years – ranging from construction equipment operator to dance instructor to insurance salesman to teacher. He especially loved teaching science to middle school students in Wayland. It was no surprise to anyone that whenever asked to describe himself, he chose to identify himself as a teacher and took that love of learning and education to every aspect of his life.
From teaching, John moved on to work in Western Massachusetts as a field representative for the Massachusetts Teachers Association where he advocated for teacher’s rights in regard to collective bargaining. John subsequently moved to Boston and served for twenty years as the MTA’s Associate Executive Director, directing the MTA’s political and legislative strategies and operations. He was a major contributor to the transformation of the MTA into a political power, dedicated to advancing the interests of public school students, teachers, professors, and educational support personnel. John led the MTA’s legislative efforts in advocating the passage of the Students with Disabilities Act (766), Bilingual Education Act and school finance reforms. He also promoted MTA’s positions on improvements to tenure, retirement, healthcare laws and was key in efforts to organize higher education. John’s superb intellect, exceptional perspective, calm and steady demeanor, and gentle sense of humor were invaluable assets in building and sustaining powerful political coalitions that promoted the interests of educators and other public sector employees on Beacon Hill and beyond.
Actively involved with local and national politics, John was a longtime member of the Wellesley Democratic Town Committee. He represented Wellesley Democrats for over 20 years at the annual state convention.
A life-long learner and avid outdoorsman, John orchestrated many hiking and canoe trips for the family and extended family. John was always looking for ways to keep family and friends connected and he considered his children to be his greatest accomplishment in life. His annual fall horseshoe party was one of his favorite days of the year -- a perfect way to bring everyone together. It was not unusual to have a display of his artwork, a little impromptu song or poem amidst the competition. It must also be acknowledged that at the end of the day, John was usually wearing the winner’s traditional red plaid jacket which entitled him to bragging rights for the rest of the year.
To honor John, feel free to contribute to the charity of your choice (he had too many for any one group to be singled out!) -- but more important, he would rather you take the time to reach out to a friend or family member, read a book to a child, ask a teenager what he or she has been reading lately, write a poem or explore a new passion. Any one of those simple acts would please him enormously.
Burial will be private. A Celebration of Life will be planned for the future.