Betty Sullivan, BVM (St. Leroy)
Betty Sullivan, BVM (St. Leroy) died Aug. 3, 2015, at Caritas Center in Dubuque, Iowa. Funeral liturgy will be held at 11:15 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2015, in the Marian Hall Chapel. There will not be a wake service per Betty’s request. Burial of the cremated remains will be in Calvary cemetery, Evanston, Ill.
She was born in Chicago on Dec. 18, 1934, to Daniel Joseph and Margaret Devereux Sullivan. She entered the BVM congregation Sept. 8, 1953, from St. Pius Parish, Chicago. She professed first vows on March 19, 1956, and final vows on July 16, 1961.
Betty Sullivan taught elementary school in Chicago, Grayslake and Round Lake, Ill.; Des Moines, Iowa; Kauai and Wahiawa Oahu, Hawaii; W. Hempstead, N.Y.; and Miami. She served as volunteer tutor in Miami and Chicago.
She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers: Daniel, Raymond, Leroy and Thomas; and a sister Margaret Sullivan, BVM. She is survived by nieces, nephews and the Sisters of Charity, BVM, with whom she shared life for 61 years.
Sister Betty Sullivan, BVM (St. Leroy)
Funeral Welcome
Marian Hall, Aug. 5, 2015
Good morning and welcome to the celebration of life of our Sister Betty Sullivan.
Elizabeth Ann Sullivan was born on Dec. 18, 1934, in Chicago, to Daniel Joseph Sullivan and Margaret Devereux. She joined siblings Daniel and Margaret (Peg) and was followed by Leroy (Lee). Another brother Raymond died as an infant in 1929.
Betty attended St. Pius ES and graduated from St. Mary HS in 1952. She applied for admission to the Sisters of Charity, BVM immediately after graduation, but unfortunate events delayed her entrance. Her mother was seriously ill when her father died in a work-related accident. Her mother’s health deteriorated quickly after his death. The loss of both of her parents within a short period of time was a great sadness that remained with Betty.
Betty entered the congregation on Sept. 8, 1953; joining her sister Peg who entered on Sept. 8, 1949. Betty received the name St. Leroy upon her reception on March 19, 1954, professed her first vows on March 19, 1956, and lived 61 years as a BVM. In a reflection paper, Betty wrote, “Years before I was called to join the BVM community, I experienced the BVMs as women who are committed to ‘rejoice with others, mourn with others, delight in others and make others’ condition their own.’ Each time I renew my vows, I hope to realize more my interdependence with all BVMs.”
Betty was an excellent and creative teacher greatly loved by her students. She had a special kindness for children who had fallen behind giving them extra attention to “bring them along.” How fitting is today’s gospel where Jesus says, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name received me.”
Betty was missioned in Illinois at St. Aloysius, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Callistus, and St. Bartholomew in Chicago; St. Gilbert in Grayslake; and St. Joseph in Round Lake. In Hawaii, she taught at St. Catherine in Kauai and Our Lady of Sorrows in Wahiawa Oahu. She also taught at St. John in Des Moines, Iowa; and St. Thomas in West Hempstead, N.Y.
In 1984, Betty and her sister Peg responded to an invitation to minister at the Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart in Miami. Peg was the Directress of the Lower School while Betty served as a teacher there for the next 17 years. On July 12, 1989, another tragedy struck when Peg died suddenly from a heart attack. Peg always looked after Betty; the two were extremely close. It was another devastating loss. Betty, who was recovering from a broken arm at that time, wrote, “I keep thinking it is having only one arm that has me in such a daze, but I know it is really having only half a heart.”
After 45 years as a dedicated classroom teacher, Betty retired from teaching in 2001, but remained involved in education by tutoring and volunteering in elementary schools. She moved to North Fort Myers, Fla., in 2002; to Chicago, in 2007; and to Mount Carmel in 2012.
Betty was a rather private person with a great loving heart. She was friendly, intelligent, a good listener, a woman of conviction. She enjoyed reading books and watching movies. She had a good sense of humor and a contagious laugh and she was a delightful person with whom to live.
Betty was passionate about three things. First, she was passionate about anything and everything Irish and was fortunate to have visited Ireland several times. She was thrilled that there were three Sullivans—Betty, Eugena and Mary Alma—in her set. They even have their own song, a revision of the George M. Cohan song “Harrigan.” “S-U-double L-I-V-A-N spells Sullivan. Proud of all the Irish blood that’s in me . . . ”
Second, Betty was passionate about the Chicago White Sox. She knew all the team’s statistics and, of all the players past and present, Jacob Nelson “Nellie” Fox was her man. By coincidence, Billy Pierce, a star White Sox pitcher from the 1950s, died on July 31. One might wonder if Betty managed to get a seat next to him at the heavenly banquet.
Finally, and most deeply, Betty was passionate about her family. Her nieces and nephews meant the world to her and gave her great joy while the death of her parents and siblings gave her tremendous heartache. Betty, we hope you are enjoying a glorious family reunion in heaven.
During this celebration and in the days ahead, we will continue to remember Betty with affection and rejoice that she is now united with her family in the presence of our loving God.
Sister Betty was my 8th Grade teacher at Saint Catherine’s on Kauai. She was a brilliant mentor and never talked down to us. She treated us as adults and we loved and respected her.
Aloha Sister Betty, I’ll never forget you!