Dorothy June Sullivan

January 1, 1932 to October 22, 2022

Dorothy June Sullivan was born to Don and Gladys Lair on January 1, 1932, in Lincoln, Nebraska. She was the oldest of six children… her siblings are Betty, Jean, Earl, Karen, and Bob (Bobby) – all of whom are still living.

In October of 1929, the Stock Market crashed. In 1930, severe droughts in the Southern Plains brought high winds and dust from Texas to Nebraska, killing people, livestock, and crops. The “Dust Bowl” inspired a mass migration of people from farmlands to cities in search of work.

Dorothy (Mom) was only one year old in 1933 (the depths of the depression), unemployment reached 24.9% and nearly 1/2 of the US banks failed and were forced to close leading to financial ruin for a vast majority of Americans.

Grandpa Lair (Don), with his young family faced this disaster head on. He recognized the mass migration of workers moving from the farmlands to the cities, & by God’s grace and wisdom, ingeniously invested in moving trucks, becoming a mover during those depression years which enabled his family to prosper even in a time of adversity.

By 1945 Grandpa and Grandma Lair sold their moving business to United Van Lines giving them enough money to purchase a large ranch/farm in western Nebraska, near North Platte.

Mom was only 13 years old when she moved from their spacious & comfortable home in Lincoln to an unfinished ranch house without electricity, phone, or hot water. They had a two-seater outhouse just for comfort’s sake.

Grandma Lair heated water on a propane stove for baths & laundry. Grandpa had a windmill that generated 12-volt electricity which charged a large bank of batteries & in turn powered their home. Eventually he installed a bigger wind charger before Rural Electric (REA) came to the ranches.

Mom and her five siblings lived in the basement of the home for almost a year while Grandpa finished the upstairs portion of the house. Mom’s youngest sibling, Bobby, was but 2 years old when they moved to the ranch.

The ranch would later become The Lariat Boys Ranch, where hundreds of troubled boys were housed, raised, and trained to manhood.

Mom enrolled in public school for the 8th grade. The ranchers’ families and kids would often gather on Friday night to play games and socialize, however, as Seventh-day Adventists, Mom’s family didn’t participate because of the Sabbath. Graciously the neighbors changed the social to Saturday night to accommodate their beliefs.

By the summer of 1946 Mom got interested in a ranch boy several years older, but Grandpa wanted nothing of it, so he sent her off to Campion Academy in Colorado. Mom was miserable there and Grandpa agreed to let her transfer to Platte Valley Academy in Nebraska the following year.

Mom still maintained a long-distance relationship with her ranch boyfriend, which is how she met dad, Don Sullivan. You see, Dad was the postman at Platte Valley Academy, and daily he would call out the names of those who got letters. Every time Mom got a letter from her boyfriend, Dad would tease her until she blushed. In a strange way that endeared him to her. It wasn’t too long until she had broken up with her boyfriend and Mom and Dad became an “item.”

Dad was the youngest of three children being raised by a single mother in Omaha. He was a newly committed Seventh-day Adventist.

A pastor in Omaha talked him into going to Platte Valley Academy… even though Dad wanted to become a professional dancer… God had other plans… Dad never knew for sure who paid for his first year at academy.

Mom told me that she and Dad got in trouble at the Academy for “holding feet” under the table at lunch one day… even though it wasn’t true, she said it was a great idea, and often after that they did “hold feet” under the table.

Dad graduated from the Academy in 1949 and headed for Union College that Fall. Soon thereafter, Dad and Mom got engaged and planned their wedding for September 3, 1950, in the North Platte Seventh-day Adventist Church… just a few short months after Mom graduated from Platte Valley Academy.

Who would have ever dreamed a thirteen-year-old girl would get uprooted from her comfy city life to live on a rural, primitive ranch, and grow up to marry an impoverished boy from a single-mom household in Omaha? Only God knew exactly what was needed to fulfill the destiny He had in mind for both Mom and Dad.

Dad double majored in Theology and Education and both he and Mom felt called into ministry. Before Dad graduated from Union College, Mom gave birth to David Kent in 1952. Dad, with a full college schedule, worked as a custodian nights and Sundays so Mom could stay home with David.

Upon graduation in 1953 Dad and Mom accepted a call into ministry, and they were off to New Mexico where their second son, Kim Allen, was born in 1954 and then daughter, Jolene Marie in 1957.

Dad was pastor of two churches as well as Principal /Teacher of a small grade school in Las Cruces. Mom said Dad’s salary was $156.00 a month, yet somehow, they always had enough.

Dad spent summers doing tent evangelism, as well as preaching every weekend. Mom was expected to participate in children’s ministry and visitation & occasionally she even had to play the piano.

In 1958 Mom and Dad felt God’s call again in their lives… this time to a distant land… Jolene wasn’t even 1, Kim only 4, and David was but 6, when off they went to South America.

First to Bolivia, where I, Mark Kevin, was born in 1960. How scary that must have been for Mom to be pregnant and give birth to a baby in such a primitive land. Mom served as Girl’s dean at the Adventist school in Cochabamba while Dad served as Principal/Teacher.

Next, off to Puno on Lake Titicaca in Peru, where Dad served as President of the Mission. While in Lake Titicaca, which is 12,500 feet above sea level, Dad helped to establish the first floating school for the native people living on the floating islands on Lake Titicaca. I remember Mom dressing us up warmly as we took the mission launch out to visit these amazing islands and their people. I also remember playing on the ruins of Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas while living there.

Dad often took long mission trips into the lowland jungles of Peru and Bolivia, leaving Mom alone to care for all of us in some very primitive and sometimes scary environments.

While in the highlands of Peru, I began having serious seizures because of the altitude, which forced us to leave that environment for lower lands.

In 1963 we headed back to the States for Dad to finish his Masters, at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, MI.

Upon graduation in 1964, Dad was called to be president of Colegio Union in Peru, so once again Mom packed us up and back to South America we went.

Just a year later in 1965, Mom had to pull up roots, move to a new country, & another house, which as usual, she transformed into a warm & comfortable home for her family. Dad had just been called to be the first President of the newly established Chile Union.

Through most of our time in South America, Mom homeschooled all of us kids which was no small undertaking. She also hosted a vast number of visitors… in one year we had various guests staying in our home for 182 days.

When we returned to the States on furlough in 1967, as a family we toured the US on Greyhound Buses - $99 for 99 days… what an adventure! At this time David stayed in the States to begin Academy, and the rest of us returned to Chile.

In 1969 it became apparent to Mom that we needed to return to the States for us to complete our education.

Who would have imagined that in 19 years of marriage, Dorothy, the Nebraska girl… would have lived 11 1/2 years in the mission field, in about 20 different homes, in 4 different nations, enduring the most primitive conditions, giving birth to 4 children, living through a major earthquake, nursing Dad through hepatitis, and traveling through all 12 countries in South America. God knew.

But there is more…. In 1969 we moved back to the States, Keene, Texas to be exact. David and Kim both graduated from Academy there. Dad became Stewardship Secretary for the Texas Conference; Mom became his secretary.

While there, David married LaNell and Kim married Jerri.

In 1974, Dad was called to be Treasurer and then President of the Texico Conference in Amarillo, Texas. This was like coming home for Mom and Dad because dad’s territory included the churches and school where he had begun his ministry.

Jolene and I both finished Academy while our parents lived in Amarillo. Also, Jolene married John, and I married Celeste, during this time.

Now empty nesters, in 1989, Mom and Dad would again follow God’s call to Southern California, where Dad served as The Southern California Conference Treasurer, and Mom worked in the Book and Bible house.

In 1999, after 46 years in ministry, Dad and Mom retired, however, they were not yet done with ministry. At this time, they accepted a call to go to Kona, Hawaii to serve as a volunteer pastor. How they loved Hawaii. Most of their children and families & many friends visited them while they were there.

Finally in 2003, Mom and Dad moved to Port Orchard, Washington ending 50 years of full-time ministry. Mom loved her church in Port Orchard and called it her home church until she died. Dad loved all his neighbors, knew them all by name and served as an Elder in the church.

Aunt Karen, (Mom’s youngest sister) and her husband Melvin lived nearby, and they moved Grandma Lair to Port Orchard to care for her until she died six weeks short of her 100th birthday. Karen and Melvin and Mom and Dad grew very close during this time.

Aunt Karen adds, “We were blessed to have your parents live close by those many years after your dad finally “retired” although he never fully did because he loved to visit people, & continued to preach, & teach. Your mom was a good cook!!”

Mom had an amazing life. She loved her large family, traveling & all the adventures!

Tragically Dad died of cancer in 2014. In 2015 Mom sold her house and moved back to Texas to be close to her daughter Jolene, her amazing son-in-law, Steve, her son, Kim, & sweet wife, Jerri.

While in Texas, Jolene continued to be a devoted daughter to Mom, helping her with her finances, the care of her home, and through all her medical challenges. Kim & Jerri made a point of visiting Mom almost every weekend and kept her home in good repair.

David called her every week and visited when he could. Mark made it to Texas twice. Mom loved Washington State, thought of it as her home & returned to visit many times.

Mom loved & always sent birthday cards to her 4 children, 17 grandchildren, & 7 great-grandchildren.

David & LaNell, their daughter Rachel, married Stephen, they were blessed with Isabella.

Kim & Jerri, their children, Kimberly married Chris, they were blessed with 3 daughters Katy, Cami, & Catarina. Casey married Amada, they were blessed with Layla, Nolan, & Forrest. Dennis married Kat.

Jolene & Steve, their children, James, Jason (who passed away at 4 yrs. old in a tragic accident), Julia married Brandon, Jennifer married Stephen, Rachel married Rob.

Mark & Celeste, their children, Bonnie (who died at only two weeks old), Seth married Mia, Joshua married Whitney, Sam married Emily, Nathanial married Yuliya, Rachael married Jonathan, Eve married Austin, Alisha married Kevin.

Mom died after a relatively short illness on October 22, 2022… she was 90 years old… Yet to die is gain for those who love the Lord!

Who would have thought Dorothy from Nebraska would establish 24 homes on two continents, four different countries and seven states. She would travel through all fifty states in the US, all but two countries in North and South America, and nine European countries, all while raising & homeschooling four children!

When you trust God, your life becomes an amazing adventure… it surely did for Mom!

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.moore-funeralhome.com for the Sullivan family.