Sullivan, Walter A.

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Walter A. Sullivan 77, passed away peacefully on March 23, 2023, at Philip Hulitar Hospice Center, Providence, RI. He was the loving husband of Carol E. (Mansfield) Sullivan for 55 years prior to her passing in July. Born in Providence, he was the son of the late Walter A. and Novelle (Sunderland) Sullivan.

A graduate of Warwick Veterans Memorial High School Class of 1963, Walter was an extraordinarily dutiful man, with a natural abilty to connect with everyone he met. He served his country, community, and family and found a way to uplift those around him with his infectious optimism and sense of humor. His love of people fostered a successful career in sales, first for UPS, from where he retired in 2000, and later for Ross-Simons and Seko.

An Army veteran, Walter volunteered to serve his country for 3 years, beginning in 1966.  His service included one year in Vietnam, with the 173rd Airborne Brigade.

He returned home to begin his life with his high school sweetheart, Carol.  Together, they participated in many community activities, while raising their family.  During that time, Walter volunteered as a baseball coach at Warwick West Side Little League, organized an annual turkey dinner at Woodbury Union Church, and generously supported those that needed help in their daily lives.

He loved sports, and connected with friends on the golf course, or at the bowling alley. His passion for sports was evident as a fan, too, as he cheered for his beloved Celtics and PC Friars.  For many years, he traveled to Foxboro to watch the Patriots play their home games.

Walter also connected with his family and friends through his appreciation for gardening and plants, his love of attending musicals at the Providence Performing Arts Center, and shared vacations to his favorite destinations including Newfound Lake, Myrtle Beach, and Cape Cod.

Marriages come in many forms, and Walter was married to his best friend, Carol, for over fifty years.  They were inseparable, and happy. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, brother, brother-in-law, and cousin.  He has two brothers, James Sullivan of New Hampshire and the late Paul Sullivan; and he has three sisters, the late Carol Gillooly, Kathleen Villinis of West Warwick, and Maureen Keiper of Narragansett.  He was a proud uncle to thirteen nieces and nephews, and loved all of them very much.  He will be missed by all whose life he blessed.

Walter is survived by his two children: Michael D. Sullivan and his wife Karen of Somers, NY and Pamela L. Sullivan of Los Angeles, CA; also survived by his grandchildren, Jack, Maggie, and Charlie.

Visitation will be on Monday, March 27, 2023, from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Carpenter Jenks Funeral Home, 659 East Greenwich Avenue, West Warwick. Relatives and friends are invited to a Funeral Service on Tuesday March 28 at 10 a.m. at Woodbury Union Presbyterian Church, 58 Beach Avenue, Warwick. Burial with Military Honors will be at RI Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Exeter.  In acknowledgement of the compassionate care given to Walter, memorial donations may be sent to Hope Hospice & Palliative Care, Rhode Island, 1085 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02904, hopehealthri.org