January 2, 1924 – August 29, 2024
James J. Sullivan, Jr., a resident of Nashua, New Hampshire, for 27 years,
formerly of Reading, Massachusetts, where he resided for 47 years,
passed away at his home on August 29, 2024. He was 100 years of age.
James was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 2, 1924, the son of
the late James J. and Mary E. (Killeen) Sullivan.
James Sullivan graduated from Boston English High School early in
1942, after he enrolled in the U.S. Marines on his 18th birthday. He
served in the Marines in the Pacific Front until honorably discharged in
December 1945. That same week, he met Mary G. Sullivan, and they married
business, including in the textile and pet food industries. Then he
worked for Lauriat’s bookstore chain, becoming the President of the
company in the 1960s. In 1972, he established his own company,
James’, a card and gift store, which grew to 7 locations. He sold the last
of these in the mid 1990s, and they moved to Nashua, NH. From 1958
to 1980, he served on several town committees in Reading, MA,
including seven years as a member of the Board of Selectmen, including
being its chair. In their years of retirement he and Geri traveled
extensively, enjoyed winters at their home in Florida, and reveled in the
lives of their grandchildren.
Devoted father of Mary Jordan Sullivan, (deceased 1954), James J.
Sullivan III and his husband Peter Sparrow of New York City, Mark W.
Sullivan and his wife Marilyn of Londonderry NH and Gerry Anne
Sullivan of Reading. Cherished brother of Lawrence W. Sullivan of
Cape Cod and loving grandfather of 7, Rebecca, Melissa, Buddy,
Rachel, Natalia, Mark William, and MaryEllen and great grandfather of
7, Makenzie, Travis, Jordan, Elizabeth, Luka, Meadow, and Marko. He
is also survived by his sister-in-law, Ruthann Wood, of Boise, Idaho and
numerous nieces and nephews, whom he greatly loved.
James was a man of wide knowledge and experience, love and in
possession of a wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor, and despite all of
his accomplishments, it was his family that was always first and
foremost in his thoughts and actions. On his behalf we would like to
thank the caregivers who assisted him in his final year and especially
and deeply express our love and thanks for the tremendous amount of
love and devotion given him by his granddaughter Melissa, her husband
Michael and their son Jordan, who have shared his home for over ten
years.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, September 4,
2024, at St. Agnes Church 186 Woburn St. Reading at 10:30am. Burial
with military honors will follow at Forest Glen Cemetery in Reading.
There are no visiting hours.
In lieu of flowers contributions may be made in James’s memory to St.
Jude Children’s Research Hospital. www.stjude.org
