Theresa Marie Sullivan

It is with a profound sadness that we announce the passing of Theresa Sullivan on March 20, 2018 after a hard fought battle with cancer. She will be lovingly remembered by her husband Hugo Bergen; children, Rebecca and Ryan; parents, Patrick and Bernadette Sullivan; brothers, Michael (Lesley) and Kevin, and her sister Mary (Peter). Also left to mourn her passing are the many members of her extended family.

Theresa was born in Port Credit (now Mississauga) Ontario, and at the age of seven moved to Mount St. Louis in rural Ontario, the place she called home. It remained special to her the rest of her days. After high school she attended the University of Western Ontario and graduated as an occupational therapist. It was clear that once you got to know Theresa, you could see that therapy was in her DNA. She loved being an OT and remained dedicated to the profession all her life. She began her OT career in Vancouver where she ended up meeting the love of her life, Hugo (how lucky was he!!!). They became engaged in Vancouver and then started their wonderful life together in New York City in Jan. 1989. It was an exciting 3 year adventure that gave their relationship a solid foundation of love and support for the years to come. While experiencing the excitement of NYC Theresa dedicated herself to starting a career in education (teaching was also in her DNA, as many can tell you). While in NYC she worked hard during the day at her OT job and in her ‘spare time’ worked even harder to complete a Masters Degree in Health Education at Columbia University. It was during this time that her role in treating a young patient was featured in Readers Digest. In Jan. 1992, Theresa and Hugo started their life in Winnipeg. She initially worked at the HSC in the Occupational Therapy Dept. until the birth of their darling daughter Rebecca in 1993. Four years later her family was completed when Ryan arrived. In 1994 she began teaching in the Dept. of Occupational Therapy within the School of Medical Rehabilitation. She truly took great pleasure in combining her love of OT with her love of teaching which allowed her to pass on her knowledge, enthusiasm, and energy for the profession to future generations of occupational therapists. This dynamism would lead to numerous teaching awards over the years including the Saunderson Award for Excellence in Teaching (the top award for teaching at the U of M). She was also recently recognized by the Manitoba Society of OTs as the ‘Most Inspiring Professor’ for her dedication to the OT profession over the course of her career. Even as she entered her fifties, her enthusiasm for the profession continued unabated as she enrolled in a PhD program to further her research interests in therapy. It was with great sadness that she withdrew from her PhD program due to her declining health. Her career was marked with achievements both great and small and she helped the careers of countless students as they progressed through the program. Her students appreciated her for her empathy, understanding, support, thoughtfulness, wisdom, and a ‘shoulder to cry on’ as cited by her numerous nominations for teaching awards. Hers was a truly distinguished and remarkable career that sadly has been cut short.

Although she was dedicated to her career, this paled in comparison to the love and dedication she had for her family. When Rebecca developed a love for competitive swimming during a sabbatical year in Australia, it was Theresa that provided the constant encouragement and support for Rebecca. When the swim club (go Marlins!) needed someone to join the board and (later become president) to devote countless volunteer hours to improve the running of the club Theresa rose to the occasion. When Rebecca decided to go to university in Florida, Theresa encouraged her and showed her how to make that dream a reality. She supported and encouraged Rebecca in academics and athletics without fail and took great pride in all of her many accomplishments. She also instilled in Rebecca a love of adventure and travelling, even though it meant that her darling daughter would be spending time away from home. Her support and enthusiasm for Ryan also knew no bounds. She was his biggest fan. She attended his swim meets, soccer games, and many basketball games with great enthusiasm. When Ryan took up the piano, she insisted that the piano be placed in the dining room so that she could hear him play. She also inspired a sense of adventure and independence in Ryan. She was the first to encourage him to pursue studies outside the province and expand his horizons. She was excited that he was able to pursue his love of snowboarding and took great pleasure in seeing him in his element in the BC interior a few short weeks ago. Throughout the years Theresa was a constant source of strength, encouragement, and boundless love to Hugo, and their relationship grew stronger with each year. They simply loved each other and loved spending time together. Road trips were always a favorite time together. The summers were a time of travelling (both east and west) to see friends and family. Long periods of time in close quarters; what could be better than that! Her love for her family was truly paramount.

As the children grew older and more independent she found more time to devote to her hobbies of gardening and knitting. During warm spring days she loved nothing more than planting flowers and shrubs and transferring plants within her beloved garden. It was a real joy to walk in the yard and admire her efforts. During the winter months, the evenings became a time of knitting. Her sweaters and scarves (did she love scarves!) were works of art to be worn and enjoyed.

Theresa was also a fundraiser extraordinaire. Following her diagnosis she focused her efforts on raising money towards the ‘Ovarian Cancer Walk of Hope’. As a testament to the extent to which she touched so many lives, she was the top fundraiser in the province for 2 years running and one of the top five fundraisers in the country. Thanks to all who generously supported her in this effort.

Theresa was an incredibly warm, thoughtful, selfless, and caring partner, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. She will be missed.

Thank you to the Gyne-Oncology team and chemo nurses at CancerCare.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday, March 24, 2018 at Thomson “In the Park” Funeral Home, 1291 McGillivray Boulevard.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to establish a student award in Theresa’s name at the College of Rehab Sciences at the University of Manitoba. Donations can be sent payable to the University of Manitoba c/o Susan Vanstone, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, R106-771 McDermot Ave. Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T6.