Patrick Henry Sullivan

Patrick Henry Sullivan, 79, passed from this life to his eternal home in Heaven on December 2, 2013. Patrick was born in Hollywood, California, September 3, 1934, to former Cecelia Agnes Lutender and Richard Stanley Sollman. His wife of 38 years, Barbara Madden Sullivan, preceded him in death in 1999 after a long struggle with cancer. Patrick is survived by his older Brother John R. Sollman of Bay City, Oregon; his younger sister, Marie Terry Grob of Lenoir City, Tennessee; his oldest son, Richard and wife, Julia Sullivan of Cutler Bay, Florida, and their three children Richard, Katelin, and Victoria; Patrick's second son, Michael Patrick Sullivan and mate, Kim Grinton of Conroe, Texas, and Michael's three children Patrick, Michael, and Shelby; and Patrick's youngest son, Timothy, who resides in Ruckersville, Virginia. Patrick was also blessed to live long enough to enjoy time with his great-grandson, Jake. Patrick was born in the greater Los Angeles area and was the middle child of a U.S. Army Colonel. Patrick, his older brother John and younger sister Terry lived through the great depression as their father led efforts at Civilian Conservation Corps camps in Montana. As WWII broke out, the family moved to New York and that is where Patrick graduated from HS and enlisted in the US Air Force as an Aircraft Electronic Repairman primarily from Dyess AFB, TX. After his enlistment, Patrick returned to New York to start a career with Grumman Northrop Corporation and married his sister's best friend Barbara Nancy Madden. Shortly after marriage and the first two children, Patrick was signed on to support the new NASA organization to set up and operate space tracking and telemetry stations worldwide -most notably in Madagascar where his third son, Timothy, was born. After several years in Madagascar, Patrick moved to work at the NASA's Goddard Space Flight working with the Orbital Astronomical Observatory (OAO) in the Washington DC metro area. As the OAO satellites grew old and were retired, Patrick transitioned to Houston with Schlumberger and the burgeoning oil industry. After several years, he returned to supporting his alma mater, the US Air Force, in several contract ventures overseas and later with a move to Melbourne, FL, helping to develop the Joint Stars radar aircraft. From Melbourne, Patrick retired and supported his family and travel pleasures. He loved classical music, machines, food and family. He was a loving, faithful husband, father, and grandfather. He was a true patriot, named after one of the greatest. He will be missed by those who knew him and he will always have a place in the hearts of those who loved him.