Obituary: Jay A. Sullivan

Jay A. Sullivan
Jay A. Sullivan, of Hull, died peacefully at his home on Nov. 4.  
He was born in Winthrop to John E. Sullivan and Marie (Abely) Sullivan and was stepson of Gwendolyn Sullivan. The husband of Josephine Ventresca Sullivan, he was the father of Michael A., Katy, and Sheila Sullivan; brother of Barry Sullivan, of Danbury, N.H., and the late Neil Sullivan of Bettendorf, Iowa; and the proud grandfather of Colin, Riane, and Liam Sullivan.  
Jay attended school in Winthrop as a child and Bridgeton Academy in Maine as a young adult. His talent as an artist was evident when he was very young and continued throughout adulthood, ranging from graphic design and illustration to fine marine landscape painting.  
After marriage and while raising a growing family, he attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston while working the nightshift in the advertising department of the old Boston Record/Sunday Advertiser as well as at various Boston advertising agencies. His 40-plus year career in newspaper advertising art ended when he retired from the Boston Herald in 2002.
Jay loved fishing, hunting, and camping with his young family in the White Mountains of New Hampshire; traveling the coast of Maine; all animals large and small; his spectacular Christmas trees, decorated with prized ornaments he had handpicked; photography; sunsets and surf in Hull, greeting the Tall Ships with his family on his Grady White in Boston Harbor for the nation’s 1976 bicentennial.  
From Winthrop to Boston to Hull, he was never far from the imagery of the sea.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Jay’s name to the Norwell VNA or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
A private family service is planned for a later date. For additional information and the online guestbook, visit www.DowningChapel.com.