Richard 'Rick' W. 'Rick' Sullivan

Richard “Rick” W. Sullivan III, 63, of Port Charlotte, FL and Cooper, ME, passed away on May 26, 2016, at Fawcett Hospital in Port Charlotte, FL. Rick was born in Clinton, MA, son of Richard W. Sullivan, Jr. and Marilyn (Gillespie) and grew up in Boylston and Sterling, MA. He graduated from Wachusett Regional High School, Holden, MA and Hobart Welding School in Ohio. He went to work at R.E.Chapman Company in 1972 as the third generation of well-drillers and worked there until his retirement in 2009. Rick was passionate about everything he did in life. He loved well-drilling and appreciated being part of his family’s business. Following their marriage in 1976, Rick and Wendy began enjoying sailing more and more and spent the next 32 summers cruising around the Cape and the Islands as well as Long Island Sound. They both agreed that their best vacation ever was the month they spent on their 26’ sailboat, “Merrow”. They also enjoyed cross-country skiing and spent many enjoyable times trekking around New England with family and friends. One of their greatest joys came true in 2005 with the building of their “dream house” in Bolton, MA, a project in which Rick was able to oversee and use all his skills in attention to detail. That house provided the perfect setting for many gatherings of family and friends, creating wonderful memories. In 2009 both Rick and Wendy retired, and after a couple of very harsh winters, decided that their retirement should be spent in a warmer climate. In February 2012 they moved to “Riverwood” in Port Charlotte and have enjoyed life to the fullest with new friends and activities. He was taking golf lessons, learning how to cook “Italian”, doing 1500 piece jigsaw puzzles, and was the master of the most difficult Sudoku puzzles. He loved discussing politics, was well-informed and passionate during these discussions. He was an avid New England Patriots fan and he and Wendy made no other plans when the Pats were playing! He loved taking a ride in his 2007 Mercedes SL 550, whether it be out to the cattle-strewn lands of inland FL, seeking the elusive ingredient for his newest recipe or just to the beach…a ride with the top down was the best! During the summer, though, they headed to the Sullivan homestead in Cooper, ME, and enjoyed raising blueberries, riding the trails in the side-by-side, target-shooting, eating lobster, visiting with local friends and family, and entertaining the hearty souls who traveled that distance for a visit. Rick was a man of integrity, passion, and love. He will be sorely missed by his many friends and family, and has left a legacy of good times and special memories with them all. He leaves the love of his life, his wife of almost 40 years, Wendy (Burnham) Sullivan; his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Peg and Bill Burnham of Holden, MA; his brother-in-law, Scott, of Holden, MA; his sister-in-law, Debra Saucier of Shrewsbury, MA; his sister & brother-in-law, Cheryl and Steve McRell of Sterling, MA; as well as 2 nieces, 3 nephews, 3 grand-nephews and 5 grand-nieces. A memorial service in celebration of Rick’s life will be held on Saturday, September 24, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. at the Miles Funeral Home. 1158 Main Street, Holden. Relatives and friends are invited to visit with Rick’s family prior to the service from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to: The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 495126, Port Charlotte, FL 33949-5126