March 28, 1934 - June 20, 2020
Donald was a true New Yorker. He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1934 to James Garnet and Victoria Mitchell Sullivan and grew up in Woodhaven, Queens, N.Y. Don attended Brooklyn Technical High School and was a graduate of Long Island Agricultural and Technical Institute, now called Farmingdale College. While in college, he met his wife of 64 years, Eleanor "Sue" Fessler Sullivan.
Don enlisted in the Army after graduating and was with the 12th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, Staten Island, which helped to guard New York City from possible enemy air attacks.
Don and Sue were married shortly after his discharge from the Army. He joined the Rath Meat Packing Company and moved around the country working at several Rath locations in Iowa, Ohio, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. In 1958, Don entered the clothing store business and joined the old Robert Hall Clothing Company, which was expanding nationally. Don helped open and manage Robert Hall stores in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, and then New York.
While on a business trip to New York City in 1967, Don met Lewis Hess of Salisbury. Mr. Hess was expanding the Hess Apparel clothing business which at the time had two stores in downtown Salisbury, two stores in Ocean City, and stores in Easton, Rehoboth, and Milford. Don accepted a job offer from Lewis and John Hess and became merchandise manager and then vice president of Hess Apparel from 1967 until Hess's closure in the 1990's. Don then became a sales representative for Kraft Foods, until his retirement.
Don enjoyed spending time on the Sullivan/Mitchell genealogies. His inspiration came from his mother's father, James Mitchell, who immigrated to Brooklyn, N.Y. from Balmoral, Scotland, where he was a blacksmith. The Mitchell family members were servants on the Balmoral Estate with various duties and formed friendships with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. One of Don's great experiences was traveling to Scotland visiting Balmoral Castle and the family cottage named Clachenturn on the estate.
Don also enjoyed spending his time with his many friends and was an avid golfer at Green Hill Yacht and Country Club and Salisbury Elks. Don had been active in youth baseball including Little League and coaching of Pony League and Boy Scouts. He looked forward to his time at Goin Nuts with friends and getting together with former Hess employees and his Elk's Fantasy Football group.
He is survived by his wife, Sue; and children, Mark (Jelena) of Pompano Beach, Fla., Donald (Jennifer) of Salisbury, Md., Susan of Bethesda, Md., and Nancy (Robert) Cardone of Wilmington, Del.; and five grandchildren, Evan, Victoria, and Kristen Sullivan and Lily and Bobby Cardone. He is also survived by his sister, Jean York of Bainbridge Island, Wash.; brother-in-law, Dale Fessler (Pamela) of Rockville Centre, LI, N.Y.; and several beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins.
A private family burial service will be held in the coming week and a celebration of life will be held in Don's honor later this year. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Don’s honor to Coastal Hospice, PO Box 1733 Salisbury, MD 21802.
The family wishes to extend their sincerest appreciation to the teams from Peninsula Home Care and Coastal Hospice for their excellent care and compassion.