James Sullivan

James Patrick Sullivan left town for good just before noon on Sunday, June 23, 2024.

Born to Paul and Mary Sullivan at Camp White in Medford, Oregon on February 23rd, 1944, he joined three older siblings. After his father's return from war, the family moved to various cities/states while he furthered his surgical training before settling in Billings, now a family of nine.

Patrick attended Fratt, graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1962, and received a Bachelor's in English from Eastern Montana College. A climbing accident on the Rimrocks in 1961 mangled Pat's foot permanently, exempting him from military service.

Although both were raised in Montana, Pat didn't meet his bride until they were each living in Seattle. Their very first date was a Jimi Hendrix concert and they married 6 months later on June 21st, 1968. He legalized his commitment and intention to love and raise her daughter Terri as his very own soon thereafter. Their second daughter Cass joined the scene after they returned to Billings in '69.

Together Pat & Connie created a love story for the ages. All rhyme and no reason. They tripped the lights fandango, satisfied their funny bones, cruised these city streets, wandered every dirt road, and cut cattails from riverbeds all over Montana. He never bought his wife a single card for her birthday or Valentine's— he handmade every one of them for 47 years. He had no advice to offer on marriage. He attributed the success of their love story to a wild stroke of luck --some kind of delightful fluke. We give thanks to our Mom for having the capacity and courage to receive and reciprocate a love as strong as his. Until her death did they part (2015).

If asked about himself, Pat would most likely draw on Woody Guthrie's “..ain't no use in talkin' ‘bout me, it's just the same as talking ‘bout you.” We would describe him as a master wordsmith, a round-sound poet, a mess-around musician, and a lover of all literature. He was mostly a gentleman, but if you sang, performed, wrote, created, or achieved something that hit him anyway near the sweet spot - he'd swear a blue streak at you in celebration without ever excusing himself (a real highlight with the grandkids). Alleyway Hollyhocks were his favorite flower. He kept himself good & mindful about the types of things he owned that couldn't be left in the rain for a few days. Not widely known for extroversion, Pat met plenty of continued strangers along the way. He had no use for chitchat or calamity, yet was surrounded by three of the chit-chattiest, screamiest-laughing women living anywhere west of the Moss Mansion. (Another wild stroke of luck, it seems.) He loved and suffered us well-- as the Irish tend to do.

In his teenage years, he delivered groceries for 10th Ave Market and worked at the meat market on 8th Street. He named our first family mutt after the Rainbow Bar. He liked to put his blue canoe in Lake Elmo and paddle it around. In the wintertime, he often walked its full perimeter. His ramblin-round-this-city bike rides often landed him at used bookstores or the Public Library or wandering through the explorer, tree, or poet-named streets near downtown Billings. Sometimes he parked to give his mind a quick sweat at the Yellowstone Art Museum or pedaled a little further to monkey around on the outdoor gym at EMC …maybe stopping on the ride home to dip his hat in the creek at Pioneer Park to cool his head. Our sweet father's footprints are all over this town.

When he left his home on Clark Avenue in late 2018, he asked that we give away all that was inside. The guy kept things simple his whole life. Perpetual Inheritance.

My sister and I give thanks to our Grandpa Paul ('96) and Grandma Mary ('03) for giving him to us. We give thanks to our dad's army of siblings and their beloved spouses for creating a lifetime shelter of familial support and proving up over & over throughout the decades what it means to be a family. They are; Larry ('23) & Florence ('15) of Overland Park, KS, Tim ('22) & Diane ('18) of Durham, NC, Mick & Janna of Omaha, NE, and siblings in Montana are; Clare ('19) & Wayne Hansen, Dennis & Bonita, and, last but not least, his youngest brother Joe- who was indeed his brother's keeper and our father's dearest friend. Pat was preceded both in birth and death by his sister, Katherine (1934).

We feel endless gratitude to every staff member at Gallagher Homes and Stillwater Hospice for their tender loving care of Pat as well as each individual resident for their dear friendship. Special thanks to Cass' husband Carter Stewart (affectionately nicknamed "Oscar" by Pat) for his generosity in time and loving service to Pat in the final years of his life.

We give our greatest thanks to God for utilizing our dad's life and times here in the precise manner in which He did. Pretty cool work, Maker of Man.

Also here to continue the family story are Pat's five adoring grandchildren; Anthony, Natalia, Holly, James Patrick, and Delaney, as well as 6 great-grandchildren and 14 nieces and nephews.

There will be a memorial service at 3:30 on Wednesday, July 10 at the Columbia Club (formerly the Knights of Columbus) with a celebration immediately following. All are welcome - please come as you are.