John Regis Sullivan

John Regis Sullivan, affectionately known as Johnny, entered eternal life on Saturday, April 25, 2026. He was born on January 23, 1954, in Mexico, Missouri, to a large, close-knit Catholic family that shaped his lifelong devotion to faith and family.

Johnny attended St. Joseph Catholic School and Cardinal Newman before graduating from Spring Valley High School in Columbia. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing from the University of South Carolina, where his passion for the Gamecocks was born. He remained a devoted, die-hard fan for the rest of his days, no matter what the scoreboard showed.

In 1997, Johnny married the love of his life, Jennifer Ellen Nichols. Together they shared 28 beautiful years of marriage filled with love, laughter, and cherished moments.

A man of simple joys and deep loyalties, Johnny was an avid fisherman who loved to fish the coastal waters, lakes, and streams of South Carolina and North Carolina, often alongside his six brothers. He liked to tinker with cars, especially classic Buick Reattas. He was a master griller who enjoyed hosting weekend cookouts that brought family and friends together. He loved beach music and the old classics from the 1950s and 1960s. In later years, he loved to spend time with distant loved ones by connecting in long, deep phone conversations, rejecting the convenience of modern texting technology as “no good.” He loved to hear the laughter and joy in authentic dialogue.

Johnny will be remembered as one of the best—devoted to his Catholic faith, to his loving wife, to his siblings, and to all who were blessed to know him.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ross and Mary Sullivan, his sisters Linda Sue and Patty Sisson, and his brother and best friend Bobby Sullivan.

He is survived by his loving wife, Jennifer Sullivan; and his siblings and their spouses: Janie (Jim) Nelson, Mary Fellers, David (Kim) Sullivan, Danny (Lerores) Sullivan, Terry Sisson, Margaret Sullivan, Larry (Betsi) Sullivan, Ross (Ramona) Sullivan, Rita Sullivan, Maureen (Bill) Krivit, Kathleen (Toby) Radenbaugh, Ellen (John) Schaaf, Ann (Scott) Bowen, George (Joy) Sullivan, and Bonnie (Kyle) Trahan; along with his many loving nieces and nephews.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, May 1, 2026, at Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church on Devine Street in Columbia, South Carolina. The final committal will follow at 4:00 PM on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at the Saint Frederick and Saint Stephen Catholic Church Columbarium on Edisto Island, South Carolina.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.