Michael Sullivan

Michael (Mike) Sullivan was born in Aurora Illinois 31October 1946 – the second child of Walter Harry Sullivan and Marion Estelle (Rickert) Sullivan.  Mike attended elementary school (K-8) at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church school, and attended Naperville High School with the class of 1964.

Mike attended college at the University if Illinois Champaign-Urbana, and earned a BS in Liberal Arts Mathematics in 1969.

Mike was inducted into the Army in May 1970, went through basic training at Ft. Lewis Washington, then was assigned to the U. S. Army Air Defense Agency in Ft. Bliss TX as a Mathematical Statistical Assistant.  Much of his Army “Tour” was spent at White Sands NM working with the main frame computers.  Mike was discharged from active duty in December 1971.  Mike was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his initiative, technical competence, and professional curiosity.

Mike’s professional life with computers continued as a claims examiner, programmer and data base analyst for the U. S VA (June ‘72 to October ’80), data base consultant for Galler Associates, Torrance CA (Nov ’80 to May ’82), Data base consultant for Honeywell Sistamas de Informacion, Mexico City, Mexico (Jun ’82 to Dec ’82), as database management Specialist, Dyncorp., Inc. (Jan ’83 to Jul ’04).

In 2004 Mike “retired” and relocated to Mozambique in Southern Africa.  He had acquired the rights to a 100 hectare plot (one of 10 plots) within a 15,000 hectare tract of “bush” adjacent to the border of SA’s Kruger National Park.  Mike fenced the plot, built his cottage, set up a satellite dish and a solar panel, and moved in.  For the next 10 years Mike lived on his plot and enjoyed the “bush” life

In 2004 the rights to the 15,000 hectare track were sold to a large development corporation.  Mike then relocated back to the US.  Mike chose Taos NM as his next home and lived there until his passing on June 22, 2021.

Mike was cremated at his request. His ashes will be interred at the family gravesite in St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Cemetery in Montgomery, IL.  A portion of his ashes have been “set aside” to be returned to Africa.