Springfield, MA – Congressman Richard E. Neal released the following statement on the death of former Springfield Mayor William Sullivan who died yesterday at age 95.
“Bill Sullivan was the son of immigrants from the west of Ireland who would become the Chief Executive Officer of the third largest city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
As a lifelong public servant, he had a special reverence for the Office of Mayor. He was a beloved figure in City Hall, he took great pride in his work, and I am pleased that his official portrait has been prominently on display in the grand entrance of that historic building for decades. During his tenure, and throughout his entire life, no one was a bigger champion of the City of Springfield than Bill Sullivan.
I will forever be grateful to him for giving me a start in politics and city government. I was fortunate to have spent time with him recently at the Soldiers Home in Holyoke where he lived during the last years of his life. He was a mentor, confidant, and a close personal friend who I will greatly miss.
A dedicated husband to his late wife Betty, a proud father to his daughters Patty, Kathy and Mary Beth, Bill Sullivan was a kind and supportive man who never forgot his modest roots. The City of Springfield is a better place today because of his remarkable leadership. May he rest in peace.”
