Michael Barry Sullivan

Michael B. SullivanMichael B. Sullivan, 69, died Sunday, June 19, at his home in Alexandria, Virginia, after an extended illness.He is survived by his wife, Martha Kidd Sullivan; a son, Thomas; and daughter, Kathleen; sister, Judy Harrison; and brothers Gary, Ron and Jeffrey; in addition to many other close relatives and friends.Mr. Sullivan was Vice President of Sales at Maryland-based National Book Network. He was widely known throughout the book and publishing industry as a senior sales executive whose background of more than 30 years included positions at Scriber’s Bookstores and Macmillan, where he was National Accounts Manager.A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of William and Mary, Mr. Sullivan was a published poet and playwright.Born and raised in Fredericksburg, Va., he was the son of Sidney B. and Courtney F. Sullivan, both deceased. After graduation from Spotsylvania High School in 1965, he attended Richmond Professional Institute now Virginia Commonwealth University before serving with the U.S. Army. His tour of duty included service in Pleiku, Vietnam. After completing military service, he resumed his education at Richard Bland College, later earning a bachelor’s degree at the College of William & Mary and pursuing graduate work at the University of Virginia.While Mr. Sullivan had a well-established reputation in the publishing industry, his heart often was to be found in creative writing. In 1969, just after returning from Vietnam, a newspaper wrote a story under the headline, “Poetry Helps Bring Mike Freedom.” That was to be true for the rest of his life.The newspaper wrote of his literary efforts to find peace in “the turmoil of mankind.” Many of his poems and an early play, Melody, focused on challenging relationships. Sometimes he just marveled at the beauty around him although he remained aware of “ripples in the water.”For example, in the poem, Love Me, he described “the most beautiful sky I’ve ever seen, motionless clouds of gray and white against blues and blue.” The poem, written on his first day in Vietnam, contrasted the beauty of the sky with an unexpected ending: “Love me! A foxhole at my feet, a rifle in my hand.”At Richard Bland College, he was named editor of Mnemosyne, the literary magazine. Of his debut issue, a past president of the Poetry Society of Virginia said the publication was “as good as any literary journal published by any of the universities.” He praised Mr. Sullivan’s “feeling for words.”Mr. Sullivan also was a dedicated family man. When his father, Sidney, died in 1965, Mr. Sullivan helped support his mother, Courtney, and four siblings by taking on a variety of jobs, including a stint driving a Mr. Softee ice cream truck. He with his wife Martha also doted on their children, Thomas and Kathleen.He was not without a sense of humor. One stormy night, he inadvertently drove his ice cream truck onto an airstrip at the Quantico Marine Base, discovering his error only when chased by military police with lights flashing and sirens blaring. Even the police were amused at the unusual use of a military runway, and the family laughed about the episode for years afterward. The family will be receiving visitors at home on Sunday, June 26, 2:00-5:00 p.m. A burial ceremony for Mr. Sullivan will be held 10 a.m. Monday, June 27, at Marine Corps Base Quantico, where he spent many happy hours strolling the public grounds and visiting the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Attendees need to arrive by 9:30 a.m. Funeral arrangements have been handled by Cunningham Turch Funeral Home. Quantico requests that you not send flowers. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, P.O. Box 23350, Seattle, WA 98102.