William Charles Sullivan, 71 of Starksboro Vermont. Born March 21, 1945 to Ruth Stewart Livingstone Sullivan and Thomas Sullivan of Stamford, Ct.
Bill leaves his spouse and partner of 37 years, Marilyn Barbato; his daughter Anne C. Sullivan of Brandon, Vermont and her partner, John Lincoln of Middlebury, Vermont; two beautiful grandaughters, raised in Addison County: Alexandra Nauka Dorce, 16, now living with her father Phyllip Dorce, his wife Cynthia, and daughters, Dee Dee, Amaya, and Arianna, in Norwalk, Ct, and Ava Ruth Quinlan, 4, living in Panton, VT, with her Dad, Michael Quinlan, his partner, Katie Rotax, and Ava’s siblings, Kassidy and Gavin. His beloved daughter, Lincy Nauka Sullivan died in October of 2014.
He also leaves behind, his Sister’s-in-Law, Linda Silkworth, of New Orleans, Fran Bauer, of Deerfield Beach, Fla., niece Karen Duffy, of Fla., and nephews, Mark Duffy, and his partner Donnie Tessatore, of New York, Joe Duffy, of AZ, John Duffy, of New York, as well as, Will Silkworth of Los Angeles, and Jesse Silkwoth of New York.
Bill attended St.Mary’ s Elementary School and St. Basil’s Prep School in Stamford, Ct. After Boston College, he enlisted in the USMC from 1967 to 1969. In 1972, after completing Boston College’s graduate degree in Special Education, Bill moved to Vermont to teach at the Brandon Training School. Bill served ten years as Executive Director for the Vermont Association for the Blind. In 1988, Bill and family were off to the South Pacific, training nationals in Papua New Guinea ( where Lincy was adopted), and Vanuatu.
Returning to Vermont in 1992, Bill was Executive Director of Vermont Protection and Advocacy later known as, Disability Rights of Vermont, and subsequently at the Mental Health Association of Essex County, New York.
Upon retirement in 2009, he became a Guardian ad Litem in Addison County, advocating for the best interests of children and adults.
Other volunteer efforts include serving as Lector and Eucharistic Minister at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Bristol, Vermont where he was a former member of the Finance Committee; treasurer of the Starksboro Cooperative Pre-School.
Bill was a skiier, golfer, avid reader, season ticket holder for Boston College Football games, an advocate and educator. He lived his life with passion, verve, integrity, professionalism and principle. He touched so many lives and will be missed.
In lieu of flowers please donate to Addison County Home Health and Hospice, The Mental Health Association, of Essex County, New York or the, Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Burlington, VT. Visitation will be held at, Brown-McClay Funeral Home, 4 South Street, Bristol, Vermont, Tuesday, January 24, 2017, from 5pm-8pm. Funeral Mass will be held at, St. Ambrose Church, Main Street, Bristol, VT, at 11am, Wednesday, January 25, 2017.
