AVERY JACKSON SULLIVAN, 80, died on July 2,
2002 in a Bellville nursing facility, with burial
in the Pilgrims Rest Cemetery of Bellville, TX.
Mr. Sullivan was born Nov. 14, 1921 in Childress,
TX, the son of Omar S. & Mary Jane Avary Sullivan.
He grew up and attended school in Littlefield, TX.
After graduating from Littlefield High School, he
attended Wayland College in Plainview, TX, where
he played football & earned his Bachelor of Science
in 1949. He then attended Southwestern Baptist
Theology Seminary where he earned his Bachelor of
Divinity in 1953 and his Master of Theology in 1967.
Avery served his country in the United States Navy as
a Naval Aviator during World War II, and continued
enlistment in the Navy until 1953. In Sept. of 1943,
he was united in marriage with Grace Ruth Pennington.
During his lifetime Reverend Sullivan ministered to
churches in Wildorado, Smyer, Floyd, Cumby, Roscoe,
Sweetwater, Ranger, Houston, Brookshire and Hockley.
He taught sociology in Ranger and Bible classes in
Sweetwater. Avery and Grace have made their home in
Bellville since Avery’s retirement in 1985 where they
have been members of the First Baptist Church. A
member of the Lions Club and the Masonic Lodge, Avery
loved to sing in the choir and enjoyed mechanics,
carpentry, bees and making fudge. He was also a sports
enthusiast and during the time he was in Ranger, he
enjoyed announcing the Ranger High School football
games.
He was preceded in death by his parents and three
sisters.
Survivors at the time of his death are his wife,
Grace Sullivan of Bellville; children, Larry and Linda
Sullivan of Phoenix, AZ., Sherry Ruth McIllwain of
Mesquite and Paul and Lynn Sullivan of Baytown; grand-
children, Aaron and Faith Sullivan, Noah Singleton,
Kristina, Dustin, Megan and Jacob Sullivan; brothers,
Sterling Sullivan of Littlefield, Ruben Sullivan of
Albuquerque, NM; sisters, Mary Louise Barker of Sherman
and Polly Barker of Lubbock.