NORTH PROVIDENCE — Franciscan Missionary of Mary Mary D. Sullivan died May 1 at Holy Family Community, Fruit Hill.
Born in Somerville, Mass., she was the daughter of the late Robert and Clare (Rodgers) Sullivan. She was a graduate of Girl’s Catholic High School, Malden, Mass. She entered the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in Sept. 16, 1946.
After her novitiate at Fruit Hill, Sister Sullivan trained and worked as a practical nurse at St. Francis Hospital Roslyn, Long Island, NY. In February of 1956 she was missioned to Kobe, Japan where she taught seventh and eighth grades at Stella Mans International School. When the FMM opened a clinic in Pusan, Korea she was one of the founding sisters and served as a nurse in the clinic. In 1961, Sister Sullivan was transferred to Rome where she worked in the secretariat for the international community for six years.
She earned an undergraduate degree at Rhode Island College, and earned graduate degrees at the University of Birmingham, Alabama in management and Rhode Island College in gerontology. She taught two years at the Cardinal Cushing School in Hanover, Mass and then became the first person to serve in the diocesan Apostolate for the Handicapped, and later worked in the education department at the Dr. Joseph Ladd Center in Exeter. During these years she was also a member of the Sisters Senate, now known as the Council for Religious for the Diocese of Providence.
After Sister Sullivan retired from the Ladd Center in July 1990, she volunteered for five years with R.I. Project AIDS and for three years in The Genesis Center’s E.S.L. program. She also ministered for two years at St. Paul the Apostle Church, Foster, and volunteered for several years in the Providence Public Library‘s E.S.L. program
Sr. Sullivan was a long time member of Pax Christi.
Sr. Sullivan is survived by four brothers; Xavierian Brother Robert Sullivan of Melrose, Mass; Edward Sullivan of Kericho, Kenya; Eugene Sullivan of Winchester, Mass and Donald Sullivan of Medford, Mass.; two sisters, Virginia Wilson of Medford, Mass; Margaret Eisenhaur of Stoneham, Mass; and many nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated May 7 in Holy Family Chapel. Burial was in the Franciscan Sisters Cemetery, Fruit Hill.
