David Martin Sullivan

David Sullivan is remembered for being a person who lived to the fullest and didn’t let his lack of hearing impede him from making the best of what life had offered him. From a young age he was actively engaged in his Deaf community. First, as an athlete when he traveled to Europe as a young man to compete in the in the 1969 Deaf Olympics where he was part of the winning team to gain a Bronze medal in basketball for Canada. And he continued to advocate and support the Deaf in a variety of ways throughout his life.

Befitting the era of the seventies, he could be found picketing along the busy 4th Avenue corridor calling for a better education system for Deaf students. Later, he devoted many years as a board member of the Western Institute of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Newsletter. And he was known in his senior years for his guest appearances at VCC’s ASL and Deaf Studies program supporting aspiring signing interpreters to understand the Deaf community better.

His quenchless curiosity took him to many places around the world, visiting the Middle East and many European countries, including Czechoslovakia, crossing the iron curtain to do so. He always made a point to connect with local Deaf people, making new friends, where-ever he went.

As a loyal employee he worked for Pacific Press for close to 50 years where he started at age 17 as a newspaper carrier manager and retired from his profession as a printer. He didn’t let retirement slow him down though. Soon painting became his new occupation. Returning to school later in life to partake in painting class at Emily Carr. He was a prolific painter, amassing a vast collection of his paintings. In 2017 he won an exclusive Canadian Art Council Grant to document school and in everyday life of the Deaf.

At the upmost he was a devoted father and grandfather. He will be dearly missed by those survived him and fondly remembered by his daughter Tannis Sullivan; his grandchildren: Nathaniel Booth, Isaac Booth, Emily Booth, Sofia Sullivan, Miles Sullivan, and Owen Sullivan; and his sisters: Beverly Schumph, Patricia Stevens and Kathryn Todsen

He now lovingly joins the company of his son, Peter Martin Sullivan and parents: Micheal Sullivan and Elsie Sullivan, and younger brother, Brian Sullivan who have predeceased him.

Celebration of Life will be held at Mount Pleasant Universal Funeral Home, 306 East 11th. Ave. Vancouver, BC on Oct. 19, 2022 at 3:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in David Sullivan’s memory to the Family Network for Deaf Children and Deaf Youth through the link below.