John L. Sullivan

John L. Sullivan, 93, of Windsor Locks, Conn., and West Yarmouth, Mass., beloved husband of Barbara (Chamberlain) Sullivan, passed away April 24 at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis. Born March 7, 1930, son of John L. and Helen (Lane) Sullivan, John grew up in Hartford and moved to Windsor Locks in 1961 following his marriage to Barbara.

He graduated from the University of Connecticut and began his career at Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance and then worked more than 25 years at Aetna Life and Casualty. In 1963, John co-founded The Lockspeople with his friend Charlie Woodhouse. Each week, the musical group played an hour of songs from the Great American Songbook at one of a dozen nursing homes. John and Charlie’s children learned the songs from them and joined the performances. Working with many accompanists over the years, John sang his way through shows for 50 years.

John read scriptures as a lector at St. Mary’s Church in Windsor Locks for over five decades, and then at St. Robert’s and at Maplewood Senior Living in West Yarmouth. He volunteered for 23 years at Enfield Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen, and wrote an advice column and volunteered for the Windsor Locks Senior Center.

John enjoyed crossword puzzles, trivia, and biographies. He and Barbara spent 40 happy summers at the family cottage at Point O’ Woods Beach in Old Lyme. More recently, John made many new friends at Maplewood Senior Living, where he left everyone with a song in their heart.

Besides Barbara, John leaves his son, Daniel, and his husband Robert Biddleman of Provincetown; his daughters Kathleen, and her husband Mark Ambroe of Minneapolis; Ellen, and her husband Paul Drake of West Barnstable; Maura, and her husband Steven Symonick of Auburn, Mass.; and his grandchildren Vanessa and Claudia Symonick and Grace and Spencer Drake. John was predeceased by his brother, Paul.

A Mass for John will be celebrated on Wednesday, May 17, at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church, 42 Spring St., Windsor Locks. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Windsor Locks Senior Center, 41 Oak Street, Windsor Locks, CT 06096.