| Notes |
- Thank you for coming today, I will try to get through this as best I can. My Dad was a Husband, Father, Grandfather, great Grandfather, Veteran, a 2-time hole-in-one scratch golfer, and many other things.
I will start off with a story my Uncle Alf told me a few times in fact. Dad’s family lived on Coxwell Avenue in Toronto and from what I can gather the house was always full. Dad had 3 brothers and 3 sisters spanning a 20-year age difference. One day my Nana sent my Uncle Alf to get my Dad. Don't know what he did, but it seemed to me that my Uncle Alf was always glad to get him. As my uncle was chasing him down Coxwell Avenue to get his hands around his neck, my Dad slipped on the side walk and fell. When my Dad was scrambling to get to his feet he was also grabbing his comb out of his back pocket and started to run and comb his hair at the same time. I can just see my Uncle Alf as my Dad ran away with good hair. My uncle couldn't kill him that day as he couldn't stop laughing. Dad's hair saved the day.
My Dad could run but he could not climb. When my brother Steve was about 10 years old he climbed a tree at the mini bike trails at Don Mills and the 401. Once Steve climbed out to a branch over the Don River he froze and couldn't move. I think my brother Guy ran home and got my Dad. Dad ran over and climbed the tree to get Steve out but as he climbed to the same branch over the River Dad froze. We had to call the fire department to get both of them down. The next day I remember that my Dad wasn't too happy on hearing the radio announcing every hour on the hour that the Manager of Park Manor Motors was and tree again
My Dad (Sully to everyone) was a very social man with many friends. He had a gang of them, Mike Harrington, Harold Shoniker, Dick Duff (Duffy) Dan O'Leary, Dan Morrissey, Glen Whitbread, Pete Tucker, Jerry and Waldo Vince, Mel Taylor and, The big Kahuna (don't know if I ever knew what Kahua's real name was). And many more the best way to describe them that I can think of is that they were the Rat Pack (the dirty dozen) with Golf Clubs instead of microphones. When my Father went into business for himself with a partner Jimmy Izard, they started a used car dealership by the name of Compact Cars. Every year they would have a golf tournament at Meadowbrook Golf and Country Club where they were members. Every year my Dad would give away a used car for closest to the hole and every year I would sit on the ninth hole with a tape measure. And every year and every time I had to measure the closest to hole of one of his friends they would try to bribe me. Every one of them. Was it a test??? I remember they always had a 20-dollar bill in their hands as they walked up to see what the tape measure said. I always turned it down. What they didn't know was that the person who won the car every year always gave me a $50!!!!!! They were a funny bunch to say the least.
My Dad had a few talents, one of which (I wish I had) was being an expert at crosswords puzzles, he was a Master. He always had a crossword on the go. One day in 1997, I was at work Dan was taking one of his few breaks and doing a crossword. Dan got stuck on a word and for the life of me I don't know why Dan would ask me. I can't spell and he knows that. But he did ask. I can remember what the word was, but it was a 9 letter word for something. I laughed at the thought that he would ask me but if there is one talent I do have is the ability of recognizing what talent various people have and knowing who to call and even though my Dad was in the early stages of Alzheimer. I called him. I asked him the crossword puzzle question and he said... hmmmm I will think about it and call you back30 seconds later he called with the answer. I thanked him and went into Dan office. My Dad says that answer is and he was right. I was so proud of him. Remembering the little things in life get you through the big ones.
Goodbye Dad.
Eulogy by Sandi Sullivan, October 11, 2005
Death Notice The Toronto Star, October 8, 2005
SULLIVAN, Royce
SULLIVAN, Royce Howard - At the age of 78, the Second World War Veteran passed away, on October 6, 2005, in Pickering, after a lengthy illness. Son to James Sullivan and Annie Harman, brother to James, Annie "Nancy", Ellen "Nell", Doreen, Norman, and twin Raymond. Will be sadly missed by Betty, Wife of 49 years; children Patti, Guy, Steve, and Sandi; and grandchildren Casey, his Wife Ivana, their son Owen (great-grandchild), Melodie, Wade, and Steve. A private memorial will be held at the McEACHNIE FUNERAL HOME, 905-428-8488. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (613-992-3224).
Pallbearers Guy Sullivan, Steve Sullivan, Casey Sullivan, Wade Andrus, Hon. Dan McTeague, MP, and Mayor Dave Ryan, Pickering
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1927 - 2005 (78 years)
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