Dr. Cary E. Sullivan

Dr. Cary E. Sullivan was born in Roswell, GA on February 23, 1923. He was the son of the late Ney R. Sullivan and the late Vinnie Leal Anderson Sullivan. He grew up in Atlanta where he attended public schools and earned his undergraduate degree at Emory University in 1944, being elected to the AEU junior college honor society and to Phi Beta Kappa. In 1946 he attained his M.D. degree from Emory University School of Medicine having been awarded membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and having served as Vice President of his class.

Following graduation Dr. Sullivan served a fifteen month internship at Cincinnati General Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. During war time, 1943 to 1946, Dr. Sullivan served in the Army Specialized Training Program and in 1947 was commissioned Captain in the 90th Air Force acting as a flight surgeon with the 31st Fighter Wing of the Tactical Air Command until 1949. From 1950 through 1953 Dr. Sullivan was the chief resident physician at Henrietta Egleston Hospital for Children (now Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta) on Forest Avenue and was certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in 1967 and recertified in 1980 for his personal satisfaction. On completion of his training he began a private practice in pediatrics in association with his colleagues Dr. Ellsworth Cale and Dr. Hines Roberts, the latter being the medical director of Egleston. Dr. Sullivan was considered to be one of the best diagnosticians in the Atlanta area. He treated each of his patients with the same diligence, regardless of whether it was an ear infection or a case of meningitis, being very strict in his use of antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. His retirement from medical practice brought many a tear to the parents of his patients - As one of them said “I don’t care if he is retired, if my child gets really sick I’m going to call him”. For twenty years, Dr. Sullivan gave a weekly afternoon to the Central Presbyterian Baby Clinic. Throughout his professional career he was a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the American Medical Association, the Atlanta Medical Society, the Atlanta Pediatric Society and the Southern Medical Society.

An essayist and poet, Dr. Sullivan was published in a variety of publications during his lifetime, including MD Magazine, The Pharos, and the Wall Street Journal as well as numerous Atlanta Medical Society publications. He was a lifetime member of the United Methodist Church and at the time of his death he was a member of Northside United Methodist Church. In 1954, Dr. Sullivan married his beloved wife Ann Maltby Sullivan. They shared a wonderful and happy marriage of 62 years together and were blessed to travel and enjoy many good times with family and friends. He is survived by his wife, Ann Sullivan and their two children, Heather Steiner Englebert and Cary England Sullivan, Jr. along with their five grandchildren, William, Hayes and Davis Steiner and Arden and Erin Sullivan. In addition to his parents, he is predeceased by his sister, Helen Sullivan and an infant brother, Parker Sullivan. Dr. Sullivan died peacefully in his sleep on January 9, 2017.

A memorial service will be held Thursday, January, 12 at 2 o’clock at Northside United Methodist church with a visitation one hour prior to the service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta or the charity of your choice.

Thank you for your penny sir;

Twill buy a bit of bread,

A moment’s respite from the cold

A flower when I’m dead.

But cold and hunger are endured,

And Death’s an endless sleep.

Better, sir, to have received

A smile- that I could keep.

Cary E. Sullivan, MD