Martha Sullivan

Martha Connelly Sullivan departed this life on Christmas Day, 2023.  She was born in February 1933, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the 8^th of 9 children born to William and Elizabeth Connelly.  She attended Laurelton Hall High School and graduated from Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut in 1954.

She met Donal Sullivan, her husband of 66 years, in 1955, on Fairfield Beach, a place their family often returned to and treasured.  They were married on May 11, 1957, and, not long after, left Connecticut for Harlingen, Texas, where Martha taught second grade while Don served in the Air Force.  After Don’s service commission concluded, he returned to his job with the DuPont Company, and they relocated to Red Bank, New Jersey, followed by stints in Toledo, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; Mountain View, California, and in 1970, to Wilmington, Delaware.  Along the way they had 4 children.

Seven years later, DuPont helped Don fulfill his commitment to take Martha to Europe where they spent three years in Brussels, Belgium, returning again to Delaware.  She loved their summers in Avalon, New Jersey, and later, their winters in Bonita Springs, Florida.

Martha did not like to miss out and she never considered her age.   She learned to ski and golf in her 40’s to keep up with her family.  After ensuring her children obtained college and graduate degrees, she returned to school to get one more of her own, a Masters of Arts from the University of Delaware, at age 61.  She still played whiffleball in her 70’s.  She enjoyed the beach, her grandchildren, hosting dinner parties, and her Catholic faith, in no particular order.  She attended hundreds of sporting events, and while she knew how any game should be played, was rarely critical.  She usually rooted for the underdog.

Martha’s gift for hospitality was second to none.  She was upbeat and full of warmth and understanding to all her knew her.  She volunteered at schools, churches and community groups wherever she lived, including the St. Francis Hospital Junior Board and the Ministry of Caring here in Delaware.  She was always up for adventure and she approached life’s challenges with grace, compassion and charm.

Martha is survived by her husband Donal, her children Bill (Tricia), John (Jennifer) and Sheila (Ken) Zimmerman, and her brother Tom (Judy) Connelly, along with seven grandchildren.  She is predeceased by her daughter Mary Ellen.  Our family would like to publicly thank the Healthcare Staff at Stonegates for the loving care given to Martha over the past four years.