Kathleen H. Sullivan (Withrow), 77, passed away, Sunday, March 24, 2019 at the Brentwood Nursing Home in Warwick. Born in Boston, MA., she was a daughter of the late Hilda (Withrow) MacLean. Kathleen was the former wife of John York, and the late Robert Sullivan. Kathleen was the beloved mother of Janice York Torilli, Linda M. York, Michael C. York, Dyane M. McIndoe, and the late Kevin J. York; loving grandmother of Vincent III, Rebecca, Michael, Samantha, Michael, Katie, Zachary, Krissi, Margaret (Maggie), Veronica, and Isaac; she is also survived by 8 loving great-grandchildren. She was the sister of Donna Richardson, Ann Benson and John MacLean.
Kathleen Sullivan lived a very full life. She overcame many challenges in life with her strength of character and sense of humor intact. Born to Hilda Withrow in Boston in 1941, she found loving care in the foster family of the Olsens in Woburn, Mass. until the age of 8. She often recalled summers spent on a family farm in Nova Scotia operating farm equipment.
Kathleen started a family at a young age. She had four children with her first husband and one child from her second marriage. Her children were her greatest joy, as were her many grand and great-grandchildren.
She worked hard in a range of careers over the years, making many lifelong friends along the way. In the 1960s she worked as a waitress at Anthony’s Pier 4 in Boston. She loved telling tales of the many celebrities who dined there, her favorites being Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and Bobby Orr. She later became a licensed realtor for many years. She moved into the research field and also worked as a census worker investigator, jobs she loved because it gave her an opportunity to do something she loved, which was to ask questions and get to know people’s life stories.
Everyone always knew where they stood with her. She was often referred to as a “hot ticket “and had many friends who loved her. Kathleen’s hobbies included traveling, cooking, gardening, canning tomatoes and pickles, ancestry and genealogy, collecting recipes and searching for treasures at estate and yard sales.
Her gifts of footie pajamas and homemade blankets for her grandchildren on Christmas will always be remembered. Kathleen was always a hard worker and a beautiful person. She will be deeply missed.
Special thanks to Brentwood Nursing and Rehab for their professionalism, friendly staff and compassion with her final stay.
Her visitation will be held Wednesday, from 3-6 p.m. with a service at 6 p.m. in the Thomas & Walter Quinn Funeral Chapel, 2435 Warwick Ave., Warwick, RI. Friends and family are invited to attend a get together at 6:30 p.m. at Warwick Firefighters Hall 750 Warwick Ave. Warwick. There will be a graveside service at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, 70 Medford St. Arlington, MA. on Thursday at noon. Information and condolences, visit TheQuinnFuneralHome.com
