SULLIVAN, Mary Heenan Of Newton Centre, passed away on January 1, 2018, at her bedside her beloved nephew Paul Doyle. Polly fought a courageous battle with lung cancer for eight years. She was the widow of Lt. Edward Francis Sullivan Jr, USN. Polly was born in Boston to the late Marion Hickey Heenan and Edward Francis Heenan of Newton Centre, where she lived in the family home until her passing.
Polly was a graduate of Newton College of the Sacred Heart and received her Master’s Degree from Boston University in Urban Development. She was very active in the City of Newton, for many years, concerned about the concept of a village being lost to over development. Polly was an active gold star wife of which she was very proud.
She had been employed as an administrative assistant to the head of the astrophysics department at Harvard-Smithsonian for forty years and retired three years ago.
She was predeceased by her sister Sarah H. Doyle and brother Edward Brett Heenan.
Polly is survived by her sister Hope H. Berg of Largo, FL, and her sisters-in-law Rochelle Kovacev Heenan of Clearwater, FL, Mary S. Greenfield of Salem, NH, Margaret S. Sullivan of VA, and Katherine Alhowick of Hampton, NH, cousins Connie S. Fields of Rye Beach, NH, and Virginia H. Eshoo of Portsmouth, NH. Also many dear nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Mrs. Sullivan will be received into the hands of our Lord at a memorial mass which will be offered at Sacred Heart Church, Newton Centre on Wednesday, January 10 at 10:30am. Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery beside her husband.
In lieu of flowers donations would be greatly appreciated to the Boston Architectural College for the Edward F. and Edward B. Heenan Scholarship Fund and the St. Jude Children’s Hospital.