Died: September 26, 2017
Robert Welles Sullivan was born July 14, 1944. He was the only son of Patrick and Alyce Welles Sullivan of West Hartford. His life was largely lived in the State of Connecticut, attending the Kingswood School prior to coming to Yale in 1962 where he majored in economics. At Yale he was known as “Sully” or “Suls.” He resided at Morse College where his roommate was Steven W Anderson. Sully was socially active, belonging to the Morse social committee for which he was the treasurer during his senior year. He was a member of the Phi Gamma Alpha fraternity and the Yale Dramat from 1963-65. He participated in the Experimental Theater from 1965-66, where he served as stage manager and production manager. Following Yale he received his JD from University of Connecticut School of Law.
At the time of our 25th reunion Sully reported that he was Vice President, Real Estate Counsel for First National Supermarkets, Inc. One of his colleagues at First National posted this remembrance on Legacy.com: “Bob was the smartest lawyer I ever met. He was also one of the best friends you could have.” Five years later he reported working for Sandler & Daniells PC and by time of our 40th reunion he was working for Murtha Cullina Richter et al. in Hartford. He worked with that firm for thirteen years before retiring in 2011. His obituary in The Hartford Courant described him as “an avid reader, always wanting to learn more, he enjoyed collecting sea glass, sailing, he loved taking apart anything and fixing it and putting it back together. His favorite pass times were just enjoying a good conversation and spending time with his family.”
In 1984 Robert married Dorothy Malachowski of New Britain. With that marriage he became stepfather to seven children. He and Dorothy had one additional child of their own, Sarah Newton, who lives with her husband Doug and their three children in Brooklyn, CT. Robert’s wife Dorothy died in 2010. In our 50th reunion book he reported his address to be Brooklyn, CT, apparently living with his daughter’s family. He died September 26, 2017 with his daughter and son-in-law Doug by his side. He was described by his family as a very caring, loving and compassionate man who will be missed by many.
Edward Folland