SULLIVAN, Joseph Thomas

The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona, Thursday, November 13, 2014 Joseph Thomas Sullivan, a quick-witted Korean War veteran whose zest for life was matched only by his love for his family, died in his sleep on Friday, Nov. 7. He was 87. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on Oct. 28, 1927, to John P. Sullivan and Marion (Hurl) Sullivan, Joseph built his life with his own two hands. He had an engineer's mind, believing that there was no problem he could not fix or obstacle he could not overcome. All he needed was time to think - and perhaps a few screws, some two-by-fours and a little bit of duct tape. Joseph paired his quiet determination with a wry sense of humor - he was truly a character. But he was also a devoted husband of 58 years, a loving father and a doting grandfather. In Korea, he served as a corporal in the 8th Army, 7th Division, 48th FAB and received a Bronze Star, the Korean Service Medal and the UN Service Medal. He was honorably discharged in November 1952. After serving in Korea, Joseph wed Evelyn (Whitney) Sullivan on Aug. 3, 1955, in Boston. The pair briefly moved to Syracuse, New York, where Joseph trained to be a service technician. They later returned to the Boston area and settled in Somerville, Massachusetts, as Joseph worked for Raytheon. During that time, they had three children, Suzanne Sullivan, Dianne (Sullivan) Thompson and William (Bill) Sullivan. After Bill was born, the family moved to Pembroke, Massachusetts. On Halloween night 1972, Joseph packed up his family and moved them across the country to Phoenix. Joseph worked various odd jobs, including a brief stint co-owning a bar, before taking a job with Uarco, a business form printing company. Joseph was a service technician with Uarco until his retirement. It was in that job that he earned a reputation as a jack-of-all-trades repairman. He could fix almost anything, often jury-rigging solutions to keep things running until replacement parts arrived. At home, Joseph was his family's general contractor. Under his care, pipes were refitted, floors were retiled and decks were repaired. But Joseph was not content to just fix things; he wanted to make sure his family learned how to help themselves. So with a great deal of patience and gentle nudging, he taught his children and grandchildren basic plumbing, carpentry, and other home repair skills. Although Joseph took his work seriously, he was anything but. A consummate joker, he would crack up his children and grandchildren with tall tales. He once had his grandchildren believing that a local grocery store packed ants in its peanut butter. And he often convinced them that they had just missed the little green alien in a UFO that flew over his backyard pool. Joseph's good humor was infectious. Family gatherings were always warmer because of his presence. Whether Joseph was telling a joke or sharing a memory from his colorful life, he always captivated those around him. After he and Evelyn retired, they moved to Chino Valley in 1998 to be closer to their daughter Suzanne and grandchildren, Aaron Mackey and Whitney (Mackey) Lynch. Joseph was a regular on the sidelines of his grandchildren's soccer games, always encouraging them and their teammates in a booming voice. Joseph's voice was unmistakable. Even after having lived away from Boston for more than 20 years, he still retained his accent. Joseph also retained his love for the Red Sox, a passion he passed down to his children and grandchildren. He was forever grateful to see the Red Sox break the curse of Babe Ruth in 2004 and win the World Series. Just before his 87th birthday, Joseph and Evelyn moved into Prescott for health reasons. He entered hospice care in late October and remained at home until his death. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Marion, four brothers George, John (Florence), Buddy and Eddie (Gail) and sister Dorothy (Sullivan) Rueschenberg (Bill). He is survived by his wife, Evelyn; three children, Suzanne, Dianne (Michael Thompson) and Bill (Karen Casey); five grandchildren Anthony Thompson (Melanie), Kate (Thompson) Edwardsen (Peter Edwardsen), Aaron (Ashley), Whitney (Mackey) Lynch (Brian Lynch) and Christopher Sullivan; and four great-grandchildren, Cadence Thompson, Isabella Thompson, Lorelei Lynch and Jonah Mackey. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014, at Heritage Memorial Mortuary, 131 Grove Ave., Prescott, Arizona. Committal service with Military Honors will be 12:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, 2014, at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, 23029 N. Cave Creek, Phoenix, Arizona. Please visit www.heritagemortuary.com to sign Joseph's online guestbook. Services entrusted to Heritage Memory Mortuary. Information provided by survivors.