Dr. Michael Francis Sullivan

June 5, 1952 - November 7, 2020

Dr. Michael Francis Sullivan, 68, of Grant, MN and Naples, FL, passed away peacefully on Saturday, spending his final days surrounded by his loving family. He was preceded in death by his parents Michael and Mary and siblings Suzy and Dennis. Michael is survived by his siblings Tim and Mary and John, loving wife Lori, children Michael and Chelsea, grandchildren Rivka and Ariel, and devoted dog Pippa.

A proud "Southie," Michael grew up in a large and 100% Irish (a lifelong brag of his) family in South Boston, Massachusetts. He attended Boston College High School and self-financed an undergraduate degree from St. John's University, going on to earn a PhD in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota in 1981.

Michael was honored to serve as the CFO, CIO, and Treasurer of the University of St. Thomas from 1985 to 2010, transitioning to the Finance Department of the Opus College of Business and teaching there until 2015, when he retired as Professor Emeritus. He served on the board of several nonprofits and spent many years working as an investment consultant for organizations and individuals. He loved providing financial advice to everyone he knew.

Michael's greatest passion was travel. His journeys included all 50 states and over 45 countries, including faraway destinations like Siberia, Tasmania, and the ancestral O'Sullivan farm in Cork County, Ireland, which he located after years of genealogical research. He not only brought his family along on many adventures (or sent home kitschy souvenirs), but also created popular study trips to China and England for graduate business students. A curious, outgoing lover of world cultures, his travel philosophy centered around meeting locals to share perspectives and to gab and laugh -- what the Irish call "the ceoil and the craic."

At home, Michael would often be found behind an open newspaper, a pile of local and national papers at his side. Those close to him could expect regularly mailed envelopes of personalized and often annotated news clippings. A numbers guy, he would regale you -- at length -- with the latest statistics.

Michael was also a film buff, originally inspired by the works of Frank Capra and Alfred Hitchcock. Family weekends typically started with a trip to the video rental store, and Oscars night was a calendared event. He was a lifelong lover of all things science fiction, from Clarke and Asimov novels to Star Trek episodes to his own dystopian novella, "99 Billion and One." In many photographs with his friends one can find Michael giving a v-shaped "Live Long and Prosper" salutation.

Though often called "Dr. Sullivan," Michael was an incredibly humble, unpretentious person, as comfortable talking to the clerk as the CEO, and enjoying mac and cheese (with peas) as much as the steakhouse. Frugality was his mantra, baggy shorts and hoodies his style, the 40+ used vehicles he owned in his life a point of pride. He was also deeply loyal -- to his family, to his Vikings and Red Sox, and to his liberal principles, championing equality and advocating for the less fortunate. Kind and generous, he was a remarkable husband and father who will be dearly missed.

A virtual wake will be held over a zoom video conference on Sunday at 2pm. Use the following link: morganstanley.zoom.us/j/…. Please note that a previously scheduled funeral mass at St. Thomas had to be canceled due to the pandemic. In lieu of flowers, donations in remembrance of Dr. Sullivan can be made to South Boston Neighborhood House (sbnh.org) or Mary's Place (sharingandcaringhands.org/…).

Published on November 11, 2020