…Tewksbury School Maintenance; 82
TEWKSBURY – Thomas Francis “Tom” Sullivan Jr., age 82, a plumber by trade and well known lifelong Tewksbury resident, died peacefully at Care One in Wilmington, on Monday morning, January 27, with his family at his bedside after a year long struggle with several health issues. He was the beloved husband of Marilyn E. (Small) Sullivan, with whom he had celebrated a fifty-ninth wedding anniversary this past April 23rd.
He was born in Lowell, April 13, 1937, one of two children of the late Thomas F. and Dorothy (Quinn) Sullivan, and lived his entire life at his Pike Street family home. He was a lifelong communicant of St. William’s Church. He graduated Keith Academy with the Class of 1955, and went on to graduate Davenport School of Plumbing. He joined his family plumbing business founded by his father, and eventually joined and retired from the Tewksbury School Department’s Maintenance division.
He interrupted his career when he joined the U.S. Navy Reserves, was activated into the Navy in February 1957, and discharged at the rank of Yeoman Third-Class in November 1962. He was stationed aboard the USS Lester 1022, Dealey-Class Destroyer for the commissioning of the ship, and was awarded a “ship’s plank” as a memento, which he proudly displayed at his home.
He was a Life Member of the Tewksbury-Wilmington Elks Lodge 2070, a member of Retired A.F.S.C.M.E Union, and the Mass Beach Buggy Association.
Besides his wife, he leaves two daughters, Deborah A. Mangano and her husband Joseph and their children, Samantha, Jared and Joshua all of Derry, NH, and Coleen M. Tibbetts and her husband Scott A. and their children, Erin, Molly and Kiley all of Tewksbury; a sister, Miriam Smith and her husband Robert of Gilford, NH; two nieces and a nephew; and was predeceased by his brother-in-law, Lewis “Buddy” Small and his wife Theresa (Stanley) Small, and their son, Matthew Small.
Relatives and Friends are respectfully invited to his Funeral Mass on Saturday, February 1, at 11:30 a.m. in St. William’s Church, 1351 Main St. (Rte. 38) Tewksbury, followed by burial with Navy Honors at Tewksbury Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials to Boston Children’s Hospital Trust, 410 Park Drive, Suite 602, Boston, MA 02215, or visit childrenshospital.org The Tewksbury Funeral Home is honored to serve the Sullivan family. Visit tewksburyfuneralhome.com