Thomas "Tommy" Sullivan

Thomas "Tommy" Sullivan of Visalia, California, passed away on April 2, 2024, after a 60-year battle with Crohn's disease. Tommy was born to Walton and Marjorie (O'Farrell) Sullivan in Brooklyn, New York. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Ann "Annie" (Reilly) Sullivan, his daughters, and their spouses, Megan White (Rob) and Colleen Sullivan (Maxwell Tomi), his grandchildren, Aidan and Maura White, and his granddogs. Tommy had a huge heart, a booming Brooklyn accent, and a great sense of humor. He loved spending time with family and friends, traveling, and helping others. He also loved sports and would rattle off statistics with the best of them. In his retirement, Tommy enjoyed traveling to sporting events. He attended the NCAA's March Madness and the Dodgers' Spring Training every year for a decade. As much as Tommy loved his Dodgers, he loved the University of Notre Dame even more. He was blessed to attend many Notre Dame football games throughout his life. His favorite Thanksgiving weekends included going with his family to watch his "Fighting Irish" play Stanford. Tommy spent his whole working career with Grumman Corporation, starting on Long Island, New York. He worked on the Apollo lunar modules, the F-14 Tomcat, and the evolution of home solar. In 1978, Grumman offered him a promotion, so he and Annie moved from Queens, New York to California. They resided in Hanford and later moved to Visalia, while Tommy worked at Grumman Energy Systems in Corcoran. He became an active member of the Corcoran business community and served as President of the Corcoran Chamber of Commerce and the Corcoran Rotary Club. During his 30-year career with Grumman, Tommy worked in New York, Michigan, Virginia, and South Carolina. Before retiring, he returned to California, settled in Visalia, and finished his career at Grumman Olson in Tulare. After retiring, Tommy wanted to spend his newfound free time being of service. He became a volunteer with the Kaweah Hospital Guild, eventually becoming the first male Guild President. He also volunteered at Good Shepherd Catholic Parish as an eucharistic minister and fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming an altar server. For the past 16 years, Tommy found peace in "Living Life One Day at a Time." He shared this message with all who were interested and loved the joy and friendships this brought to his life. His favorite prayer was simply "God, I Love You! God, I Trust You!" Services have been entrusted to Salser & Dillard Funeral Chapel in Visalia, CA. There will be a viewing on Thursday, April 25, from 4 to 6 p.m., followed by a tribute and a rosary from 6 to 7 p.m. A mass of Catholic Burial will be held on Friday, April 26, at 10 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Visalia, CA. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Tommy may be made to Kaweah Hospital Guild (2631 W Cherry Ct., Visalia, CA 93277), the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation (9404 Genesee Ave. Unit 135, La Jolla, CA 92037), or the charity of your choosing. Services have been entrusted to Salser & Dillard Funeral Chapel. Memorial Tributes and condolences may be offered by logging onto www.salseranddillard.com.

Thomas "Tommy" Sullivan

March 5, 1947 - April 2, 2024