Jerome Joseph Sullivan

Jerome “Jerry” Joseph Sullivan, 90, Colonel, United States Army, Retired, of Montgomery, Alabama, passed away after a short illness in the presence of family on February 18, 2024, in Prattville, Alabama. Jerry was born on April 24, 1933, to Jerome and Philomena Sullivan, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jerry is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Barbara, his children, Rebecca Susan Coleman (Gary) and Robert Gregory McBride (Tami), six grandchildren, and ten great grandchildren.

Colonel Sullivan proudly served his country as a member of the United States Army for twenty-eight years. He was a combat-wounded veteran of the Vietnam War (two tours) and also served in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Germany, Okinawa, and at various posts and stations throughout the United States. Jerry was a Senior Army Aviator and a master logistician. He was a graduate of Army Flight Training, the Command and Staff College, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. While in the service, he earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Omaha and a Master of Arts degree from Central Michigan University. His many awards and decorations include: the Purple Heart, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross Unit Citation Badge with Palm, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, and eleven separate awards of the Air Medal. He was also awarded the General Staff Identification Badge for his service in the Pentagon. Colonel Sullivan commanded soldiers at all levels from platoon to brigade level with great skill and compassion. He retired in 1981 at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Following his retirement from the Army, Jerry was employed by the Ralph M. Parsons Company to serve as the City Manager of Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, where he was instrumental in the transformation of the ancient city to a state of the art modern industrial center. Upon his return to the United States, Jerry joined the Hughes Helicopter Company in Culver, California, where he served as Director of Marketing and Sales. When Hughes was acquired by the McDonnell-Douglas Helicopter Company, he became Vice President of Product Support for the the Apache Helicopter, where he had a critical role in establishing the long term sustainability of one of the Army’s most critical combat systems. While serving in this capacity, Jerry was named an honorary test pilot for the Apache Helicopter. Later, when McDonnell-Douglas was acquired by Boeing, Jerry was named Senior Vice President for the Middle East, where he supervised multiple customer service offices throughout the area for both commercial and military business. In all his business endeavors, he was known for his integrity, dedication, and commitment to excellence.

Upon retiring “for good” from Boeing, Jerry and Barbara purchased a motor home and embarked on a year long odyssey across the United States and Canada, visiting friends and family and sites of interest. They traveled the Al-Can highway to Alaska and back. It was the trip of a lifetime and they made many excellent memories together. Upon their return, the joint wanderlust continued unabated and they lived for awhile in various places in Arizona and Florida, the one constant being a place in the sun. They finally settled in The Villages, Florida, where Jerry proved to be a good friend and an avid golfer as well as a scotch and soda aficionado.

Jerry was a devoted and loving husband. With the exception of spending time with his wife, Barbara, nothing made Jerry happier than to be surrounded by family. He especially enjoyed spending time with his grown grandchildren and his great grandchildren. He was affectionately known as “The Grandfather.” He loved his two chihuahuas, Boomer and Zoe, and fussed over them constantly. He never met a leaf blower he didn’t like. He loved his country. His family will miss him terribly, and the world will seem a lesser place without him, but we will cherish the memories of the time we spent together.

A memorial service will be held on Friday at 2:00 pm with a family and friends visitation beginning 30 minutes prior to service.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a charity in Jerry’s name.

Please join us in celebrating the life and legacy of Jerry Sullivan. He will be forever in our hearts.