Sullivan III, William James “Billy”, 60, of Canton, MA, formerly of Roslindale, passed unexpectedly on July 12, 2023. He is survived by his loving wife of 32 years, Karen (Clark)Sullivan, of Canton, MA, formerly of Roslindale and his beloved son Ryan William Sullivan and his long time companion Amanda Christian.
Billy was the loving son of Judy Finocchio of Hyde Park. He leaves behind his brothers Gary Sullivan and Anthony Finocchio and sisters Linda Bodden and Maureen Foote and several nieces and nephews. Billy was the cherished son-in-law to Robert (Dazzy) and Ann Clark of Roslindale. He was the beloved brother-in-law to Robert and Allyson (O’Callahan) Clark of Tilton, NH, formerly of Melrose; Thomas Clark of Roslindale; Robert and Ann (Clark) Weddleton of Canton. Billy leaves behind his nieces, Maggie, Kasey, Molly, Mairead, Kayla and Lyla, who he lovingly referred to as “Uncle’s Posse”. A call or text from Uncle Billy was the highlight of their day and always left them smiling.
Billy was always a good sport and endured many years of his wife Karen’s Harry Potter obsession. He would look forward to coming home to see how Karen would decorate “Harry” for the holidays, always laughing at Harry’s newest costumes. Billy shared a love of physical fitness with his son Ryan. He enjoyed training and working out together. He cherished their time together watching sports and traveling. He felt blessed to have the opportunity to share his knowledge of the world with Ryan.
Billy served his country honorably in the U.S. Navy. He was a corrections officer at the Suffolk County House of Correction in Boston until moving on to become a U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement Officer for Homeland Security from 1993 until his retirement 3 years ago.
Billy loved watching and participating in sports. He enjoyed playing softball and flag football. He was a dedicated teammate and enjoyed the camaraderie. He especially enjoyed the get togethers after a game and laughing with teammates and friends.
Billy was a history buff and would regale you with his knowledge of WWII. He loved a good conversation and could tell you everything about a subject, whether you wanted to know or not. He loved getting to know people and making them smile. He had an infectious laugh and always made you feel comfortable.
Billy travelled the world in his personal and professional life but no matter where he went he always let it be known that he was from Roslindale.
While Billy’s life was all too short, Karen and Ryan would like you to think of him and smile, befriend a stranger, thank a veteran, and appreciate each day. These were the things that exemplified who Billy was to all who met him.
Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend visiting hours in the William J. Gormley Funeral Home, 2055 Centre Street, West Roxbury on Monday, July 24, 2023 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Funeral from the funeral home on Tuesday, July 25, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass in St. John Chrysostom Church, 4750 Washington Street, West Roxbury at 10:00 a.m. Interment with Military Honors will follow in the Gardens of Gethsemane, 670 Baker Street, West Roxbury.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Billy’s memory to the Fisher House Foundation, fisherhouseboston.org. For directions or to leave a condolence message for Billy's family, please visit: gormleyfuneral.com