Michael John Sullivan

1939–2025

Michael John Sullivan, M.S., M.D., passed away peacefully at the age of 85 at Valley Springs Memory Care in Los Banos, CA. A brilliant and multifaceted individual, Michael was the last surviving member of his immediate family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Theresa “Tess” and John Michael Sullivan, his sister Sheila, his brother Thomas, and his three children: Sean (1988), Conor (2009), and Lisa (2013).

Michael is survived by his loving wife, Lynn; his daughters, Michele and Deirdre; his son, Neil; his grandchildren, Patrick, Joshua, and Sophia; and his great-grandchildren, Owen, Wilder, and Isabella.

Born and raised in San Francisco, Michael took great pride in his Irish heritage, as all four of his grandparents emigrated from Ireland. He attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help Elementary School, Saint Ignatius High School, and graduated from the University of California, San Francisco Medical School. Reflecting on his youth, Michael often remarked with humor that Catholic school kept him on the straight and narrow, saying, “I’d be holding up gas stations if I didn’t attend Catholic school.”

After high school, Michael served in the Army, joining the 101st Airborne Division and the 11th Arctic Brigade in Alaska. He excelled as a track runner and attended night school while in the military, later using the GI Bill to further his education. He often expressed gratitude for the Army's role in helping him mature and prepare for medical school.

Michael completed his residency in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before being recruited to the Kidney Transplant Service at the University of California, Davis. During his tenure, he authored 30 academic papers, including the prize-winning study, Correlation of Circulating Anti-sperm Antibodies to Functional Success in Vasovasostomy. His dedication to medical education earned him the Best Clinical Professor award from the graduating class of 1974 at UC Davis School of Medicine.

In August 1976, Michael moved to Merced, California, to establish Merced Urology Medical Group. Over the next 31 years, he served the communities of Merced, Mariposa, and Los Banos with dedication, bringing on partners Dennis Cesar and Rodrick Harris before later operating independently as Merced University Urology. Michael retired in 2007 after a distinguished 41-year career in medicine.

Michael had an insatiable love for learning, which he expressed through his passion for history, literature, and languages. He was a brilliant polyglot, fluent in three and competent in three more languages, and his intellectual curiosity was boundless.

Beyond his medical and intellectual pursuits, Michael was a devoted steward of the environment. For over 40 years, alongside his wife, Lynn, he worked to restore the natural habitats of the Merced River, transforming dredging tailings into thriving riparian ecosystems. With assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Wildlife program, Michael’s efforts brought back a diversity of insects, birds, and mammals to the area. Known as "the man who planted trees," his legacy lives on in the vibrant landscapes he helped rejuvenate.

Michael John Sullivan will be remembered as a compassionate doctor, a devoted environmental steward, and a man of profound intellect. His work touched countless lives and left an indelible mark on the fields of medicine, the environment, and the communities he served.

A memorial mass for Michael will be held Saturday, February 8, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, 459 W 21st Street, Merced, CA 95340.