Rollie Sullivan's life intersected with royalty, politicians and WWII generals

During World War II, Rollie Sullivan was among the first 200 American soldiers in London. One night in 1940, he attended a British-American officers' mixer, and it was there he saw a young Princess Elizabeth standing like a wallflower on the side of the dance floor — apparently too intimidating a presence for the other soldiers.

Always the ladies' man, Sullivan introduced himself and took her out on the floor.

"Try not to be so stiff," he whispered to the now-queen during the final dance of the evening. "I'll do my best," she replied.

So went the long, Forrest Gump-like life of Roland D. Sullivan, who died March 13. An avid golfer, veteran and businessman, his 96 years included personal appearances by the likes of President Dwight Eisenhower, Gen. George Patton and Sullivan's personal hero, Arnie Palmer. (As the story goes, Palmer made a pass at Sullivan's wife, LeAnn, during a pretournament party at Firestone.) Family and friends describe him as an affable storyteller who was happy, gentle and sharp through his final days.

"Everybody loved him," said his son, Mike Sullivan. "He's one of the few people that you meet that afterward you feel better about yourself."

Sullivan was born in Calumet, Mich., to Irish and French Catholic parents. When the Depression hit, his father took an enormous pay cut at his job working a lift at a nearby mine. As the oldest, Sullivan took it upon himself to go door-to-door offering chores for menial pay to help the family.

His humble beginnings would continue to be a driver in his business career, and his charitable spirit would be an ongoing theme in his life.

After the war, Sullivan moved to Minneapolis, where he earned an undergraduate degree and MBA from the University of Minnesota. While working at First Bank of Minneapolis, he met a young page named LeAnn, who would become his wife.

Rollie turned the teller job into a 45-year career with the bank. He was a hard worker, and doing well in business brought him great joy and fulfillment, Mike Sullivan said. "He was really focused on his job, that's what turned his crank."

In 1982, he started a second career as board of directors member for Fiserv, a financial services technology company. He also took a job for the business department at St. John's University, which awarded him the John and Elizabeth Myers Endowed Chair in Management.

Up to his final years, Sullivan was a storyteller, voracious reader and devout Christian who never forgot where he came from and never lost the charm that would keep him surrounded by friends and loved ones.

"Not a mean bone in his body," his son said. "Never wished ill on anyone. He never fought with anybody. He was a gentle soul."

Services have been held.