John Daniel Sullivan

John Daniel Sullivan, 94, of Shoreline, WA, passed away January 18, 2016 with his family by his side. Born in Asbury Park, NJ, November 10, 1921, to Belle and Herbert Sullivan, John spent his childhood years in North Bergen, NJ-just across the Hudson River from Manhattan.From his early days, Johns entire life revolved around the sea. As a teenager, with his brother William, John made a kayak in the basement of their family home. The boys guided their kayak around the busy waters of Jersey side of the Hudson. In Sea Scouts, John earned the highest award, the rank of Quartermaster. After graduating from Union Hill High School, Union City, NJ, John followed his fathers lead and worked for the New York Central Railroad. However, the sea beckoned-John worked onboard NYC Railroad tugboats in New York Harbor from 1940-42.After war broke out, John headed the call to join the war effort. In April, 1942, John joined the US Navy as a Midshipman Cadet at the United States Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, NY. In that same year, Johns training found him as a crew member of the SS Jerod Ingersoll, a newly constructed Liberty Ship. Onboard the Ingersoll, John travelled from Baltimore across the South Atlantic Ocean, to the port of Suez to deliver war material. Graduating from Kings Point in 1944, John served as an aboard the USS Barnett (APA-5) as a damage control officer and navigator. It was on the Barnett that John took part in the D-Day invasion. The Barnett delivered troops to Utah Beach and then served as a hospital and morgue ship after the battle. Later, on the Barnett, John took part in the Invasion of Southern France. Back in the US, John joined the USS Hamblen in 1945. While bringing troops home from the Pacific in Operation Magic Carpet, John made his first landfall in Seattle-and found the sight of green trees in December amazing! John left the service in 1946 with the rank of Lieutenant JG.After the war, John graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in Statistics. Summer jobs took him from logging camps on the Olympic Peninsula to a salmon canneries in Naknek, Alaska. Seeing how well the teaching career of his good friend Home Tweedt had gone, John enrolled at Western Washington College of Education (WWU) in Bellingham. While completing student teaching at Fairhaven Junior High School in Bellingham, John met the love of his life, Constance (Connie) Hem, a Home Economics teacher at the school. Connie and John were married in Connies home town of Minot, North Dakota in June of 1953 and settled in Seattle. Connie quit her teaching career and John worked as a building inspector for the Washington Surveying Rating Bureau and King County over 40 years.John and Connie together raised their three children in Richmond Highlands (Shoreline, WA). During the summer months, when his work required it, John would take the family and the travel trailer with him on the road throughout the Pacific Northwest. Camping trips with the Elder Family (in laws) and the Stadick Family (friends dating to the UW years) were frequent occurrences. John and Connie were ballroom dancers-attracting a crowd any time they hit the dance floor! John truly loved traveling with Connie-especially back to family reunions in North Dakota, gatherings with friends and family, salmon fishing, Husky Football, playing cards with friends, singing in church choir and with the Sound Singers (of Edmonds). In retirement he loved spending time with friends at the Edmonds Senior Center. John is survived by Connie his wife of 62 years, children - John (Merry), Brian (Marcene), and Laura (Mike) Brieske; grandchildren Kenworth (Victoria), Lewis, and William Brieske, Lindsay, Douglas, Mikaelie, Danny and Peter Sullivan. A memorial service will be held at First Lutheran Church of Richmond Beach, Shoreline, WA, January 31, 2016, 3:00 p.m. Please come and share memories of John!