Obituary of Dorothy Ethel Sullivan

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Dorothy Ethel (Hagar) Sullivan, a woman devoted to her home and her family, passed away on Monday, October 19, 2020. The beloved wife of 70 years of the late Charles A. Sullivan, who passed away in January of this year, she was 89 years old.

Dorothy was born in Somerville. She was raised and educated in Arlington and a graduate of Arlington High School.  Dorothy and Charles married on October 21, 1950 and moved to Woburn in 1953.    Dorothy was a homebody.  She preferred the pleasures and activities that centered around her home. She was an excellent cook and an avid reader.    Dorothy loved gardening and grew massive plants and vegetables. She took great pride in her tomato plants that she would grow up to 8 feet high.  Dorothy liked to say that she would grow the gardens if her husband Charles would do the weeding for her! 

Dorothy also had a great affection for animals and her home was a sanctuary for all types of animals.    When her children, Chuck and Donna, were growing up they were always surrounded by fish, birds, rabbits, turtles, cats, and dogs.   When she first got married Dorothy had 12 horses that she kept at a stable in Lynnfield.   After that acquired a “Great Dane”.  Throughout the years she had 5 Great Danes that she loved and cared for.

Dorothy had a nurturing nature about her She was a wonderful and supportive mom to her two children.   She was like a second Mom to her nieces and nephews Phillip, John and Martha and they always looked forward spending the weekend with Dorothy and her family.   Dorothy loved to spoil her two grandsons Matthew and David.    With her grandsons living in Rhode Island she could not see them on a regular basis so Dorothy would send them weekly letters. The boys always looked forward to “Thursday’s” when they would get their letter from their Gram.    When the boys were young the letters would have baseball cards or pokey man cards enclosed.  Then it was a five-dollar bill inside each letter.  Dorothy kept up this tradition until just recent years. 

Dorothy will be remembered as a woman who enjoyed the comforts and love of her family and home. Dorothy was the beloved wife of the late Charles A. Sullivan. She was the loving mother of Chuck Sullivan & his wife Gail of Narragansett, RI and Donna Marie Elliott & her husband Richard, Jr. of Bedford.  Proud grandmother of Matthew & David Sullivan.  Sister of John Hagar of Lynnfield and the late Phillip Hagar and Barbara Cole.  Special aunt to Phillip & Emma Hagar of Pepperell, John & Marcy Hagar & their daughter Tyler of Ashburnham and Martha Hagar & Blair Kennedy of Canada.  Visiting hours will be held at the Edward V Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (Exit 34 off Rt. 128/95 Woburn side) on Wednesday, Oct. 28 from 5-7 p.m.   Funeral Services will be held at the Funeral Home on Thursday, Oct. 29 at 10 a.m.  Burial to follow in Puritan Lawn Cemetery in Peabody.     In lieu of flowers memorials in Dorothy’s name may be made to the ASPCA   https://www.aspca.org/