George Brian Sullivan, 85, the eldest son of Dorothy Golden and George Henry Sullivan, died peacefully on the morning of February 5, 2025.
His last years were lived at the Heatherwood Rehabilitation and Health Care Center, in Newport, Rhode Island where he received loving care from their dedicated staff. His roommate of the past two years, James Cadette, former Minister of Emmanuel Church in Newport, said my father’s last words were “Let us pray.” He and James then said the Lord’s Prayer together. My father died shortly thereafter.
Brian is survived by his former wife Barbara Dallinger, his two brothers, Geoffrey Sullivan, Stephen Sullivan, and sister Lori Hallaran, and many nieces and nephews.
Brian was born in Newport, in 1939 at Newport Hospital. He attended the Coggeshall Elementary School and St. Mary’s Secondary School. Later, during high school, he excelled in English, Math, and Science as taught by the Christian Brothers of De La Salle Academy. During junior year, he won the silver medal for “Excellence,” and as a senior, he won gold medals for Mathematics, Science, and General Excellence, and was nominated valedictorian. The Yearbook for 1957 lists his activities: “Public Speaking; Debating; Glee Club 2, 3, 4; Tennis 2, 3, 4; Yearbook.” The entry further reads “One of the “brains” of the class, “Tricky” full of laughs and keeps the class in stitches. His unprecedented compositions are a tradition with our class.”
Brian continued his education at Providence College, where he further developed and mastered his understanding of classical Western Philosophy. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English, Magna Cum Laude. His honors at Providence College earned him a National Defense Education Act Fellowship, from the University of Nebraska where he received his master’s degree in English in 1964 and PhD in Romantic Poetry in 1967.
In 1961, Brian met and fell in love with Barbara Rose Mako, while performing the George Gershwin musical “Girl Crazy.” The couple married on July 29, 1961. His only child, James Keith Sullivan, was born in May 1962. Brian, Barbara, and Keith spent their early days in Nebraska while Brian worked to complete his PhD, his thesis was titled “The Alchemy of Art: The Poetry of John Keats Viewed Through Carl Jung’s Psychology.”
The family moved to Evanston, Illinois, where Brian was an Instructor for the Northwestern University English Department. In 1968, he was offered and accepted an Assistant Professorship at Tulane University, and the family moved to New Orleans, Louisiana.
The 1970’s brought change – the family returned to Newport in 1972, and after a difficult period, Brian and Barbara separated and divorced in 1976. But Brian and Barbara remained loving life-long friends until his death. Barbara visited him the night before he died.
Brian celebrated life and love in many ways. He was the self-proclaimed “Dr. Love.” He dearly loved his friends and family, and just about everyone else.
A memorial service is planned for Hope Day, Thursday, May 29, 2025, location, and time to be announced.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Dr. Martin Luther King Community Center, 20 Dr. Marcus Wheatland Blvd, Newport, RI 02840, https://mlkccenter.org/
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