Theresa 'Tess' (Battaglia) Sullivan

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Sullivan, Theresa Battaglia (Tess) Born November 28, 1923 at home in Buhl, Minnesota to Dominic and Mary Polga Battaglia. She died February 19, 2017. She grew up on the Iron Range. Tess was 100% Italian. Her father and grandparents were immigrants. By her own description, The Range was a hardscrabble place during her youth. She was educated in Buhl's public schools and graduated from Martin Hughes High School in 1941. After attending Junior College, she moved to the Twin Cities to attend the University of Minnesota first studying Home Economics and then Nursing. While working as Dr. Owen Wangensteen's Head Nurse at the University of Minnesota Hospital she met the love of her life, Dr. Albert Sullivan, then a Tulane Medical student. They married in Paris in 1949. She had many adventures in post-war France including being held captive by a deranged Baroness and studying at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. She returned to the states in late 1950 when her husband was pressed into service in Korea as a MASH surgeon. Tess was a voracious reader and a person of wide interests including gourmet cooking. She entertained many with wonderful meals in her home. Like so many women of her generation, she poured her formidable talents and intelligence into raising her two sons William A. Sullivan III (Bill) (Kristi) and Tim (Beth). She was a proud and doting Grandmother to five grandchildren and three great grandchildren Kathryn (Katie) Jancevski (Goran) Twins Andre and Sofia and newborn Filip, William A. Sullivan IV of Milwaukee; John Sullivan of Los Angeles, Thomas Sullivan of Seattle, and Paul Sullivan of Bozeman, Montana. Tess always encouraged women's access to education, first through the University's Continuing Education for Women Program and then in supporting equal learning opportunities for women and girls. She was a widow for 26 years and never stopped living and enjoying life. She was predeceased by her husband, youngest sister Rosemary, and brother David. She is survived by her Aunt, Rose Bayuk (White Bear Lake), sisters Toni Linville of Louisville, and Jody Battaglia of St. Paul, and brother Raymond Battaglia of Buhl, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and a wide circle of friends. Her very good friends Kay Lillihei, Marianne Grage, Ann Kelly, Ruth Reister and Thelma Hunter pre-deceased her. She felt their loss keenly. Visitation at O'Halloran & Murphy Snelling Chapel, Friday, March 10, 2017, 5:30 p.m. 8:30 p.m. Funeral at Our Lady of Victory Chapel, St. Catherine University, Saturday, March 11, 2017, 10:30 a.m. Memorials to The Hamm Clinic or the University of Minnesota School of Nursing.

Published on February 26, 2017