Shawn Arthur Sullivan

HAVERHILL - Shawn Arthur Sullivan,  64, of  Haverhill, MA passed away suddenly on October 15 after a courageous battle with ALS and frontotemporal dementia. He was born on August 8, 1960 to Margaret and Bill Sullivan in Haverhill; after graduating from Haverhill High, he went on to get his degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He then joined the Peace Corps and served in Kenya; not only did he meet his wife, Anne Goddard, in the Peace Corps, but his experience there made him realize his true calling as a teacher. Upon returning from Kenya he earned his teaching certificate (and later, his master's in education at Harvard); he taught science at several high schools in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, always known for his unique teaching approaches, humor, and dedication to his students. Later in his career he returned  to his MIT roots and became a software consultant, greatly admired by colleagues and clients alike.

Shawn and Anne married in 1998 and had two wonderful children, James and Lydia Sullivan, who were the light of Shawn's life – he loved them so much and was infinitely proud of their character, talents, and accomplishments. Shawn was a devoted husband and an amazing dad – fun, supportive, and wildly creative, whether it was making elaborate Halloween costumes and decorations, spinning pirate tales for the kids on car rides and helping them find fabulous buried treasure in the back yard, putting together a daylong scavenger hunt adventure all over town, establishing lovely Christmas traditions, building fanciful floats for the Santa Parade, indulging the kids' ideas for Mother's Day gifts (a working volcano, scale model of Florence's Duomo to hold a bottle of wine, and the like), mapping adventurous bike routes and biking hundreds of miles with James in support of Emmaus, Inc., converting an upright piano into an art desk, or the myriad other projects and woodworking he did with and for the kids. He left countless indelible memories for the family to cherish.

Shawn was predeceased by his mother, Margaret and father, William; he is survived by his siblings David and his wife Mary, Kathleen and her husband Melvin, Patricia and her partner Lori, Rebecca and her husband Stefan, Melanie and her husband Karl, and Mary and her husband Richard, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews. Shawn is also mourned by his huge array of steadfast friends from Haverhill, MIT, the Peace Corps, and throughout his life; their loyalty and love stand as a gorgeous testament to Shawn's generosity, kindness, wit, and zest for life.

The family would like to thank the team of doctors, nurses, and researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, who were so kind and appreciative of Shawn's stories, jokes, and contributions to their efforts to find a cure for ALS; the family would also like to thank the staff of Sarah's Place in Haverhill, who showed Shawn such warmth and compassion during his last few weeks.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, October 26, in the Driscoll Funeral Home, 309 S. Main Street, Haverhill from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. Services will begin at 4:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Emmaus, and ALS Association. For guestbook, visit www.driscollcares.com

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