Judith D. "Judy" Sullivan

Judy was born on December 3, 1942, in Mount Holly, New Jersey, to James and Nancy (Perkins) Doyle. She grew up in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Huntingdon Area High School with the Class of 1961. Patriotic her entire life, she enlisted in the US Army in 1963 and separated two years later as a Pfc.

In 1972, Judy moved from Springfield, Massachusetts, to Hyannis with her family. She and Dennis Sullivan were married in Provincetown on December 9, 1972, beginning a marriage that would span nearly 54 years.

Judy worked in the insurance industry for many years. Away from work, she embraced Cape Cod life and the home she and Dennis created together. They spent many happy years sailing, enjoying the water and sharing the camaraderie of the Hyannis Yacht Club. Judy was also a terrific dancer. She and Dennis once won a dance contest among approximately 100 people on Nantucket during Figawi Weekend 1979, a story that remained a favorite in the family.

Judy was funny, straightforward, honest and fiercely loyal. If something was funny, Judy laughed. She was well loved by her friends and could always be counted on to tell the truth and stand by the people she cared about.

Above all, Judy was devoted to her family. For many summers, she could be found packing picnic baskets for long days at the Hyannis Yacht Club. She was a trusted confidante through all the ups and downs of her children’s lives and took particular joy in her grandchildren, great-grandson and all children. She loved small and precious things, from little shoes and little faces to little toes.

Judy enjoyed sewing and crocheting and marked special occasions and new additions to the family by making blankets for those she loved. Many of those blankets remain draped across family couches today, lasting reminders of the care she put into everything she made.

To her family, Judy was the heart of Christmas, “Mrs. Claus,” as they sometimes called her. She spent countless hours decorating the house and wrapping presents, creating the warmth, excitement and joy that made the holidays feel complete. At home, some of her favorite pleasures were simpler: watching movies and television with her family, sharing nighttime popcorn, and ending the evening with a nice cup of tea beside her husband.

Judy often advised her family to “make hay while the sun shines.” She lived a long and hardworking life, creating a loving and supportive home in which the people she cherished could thrive. Her family will remember her bright and caring smile and, most of all, the wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother she was.

Judy is survived by her husband, Dennis Sullivan; their children, Kimberly (Sullivan) Demmin, Stacy L. Sullivan and her partner Richard Villani and Dennis Sullivan Jr. and his partner Aimee M. Frigault; her granddaughters, Cassandra “Sweet Pea” (Sullivan) Howes and her husband Richard Howes and Olivia Demmin and Nicole Villani; her great-grandson, Dylan Howes, great granddaughter Gianna Linhares; and her longtime friend, Jane Lovelette.

Judy’s family is deeply grateful to the physicians, nurses and staff at Cape Cod Hospital. The compassionate care she received during her final days brought comfort to Judy and her family through a brief but difficult illness.

Visiting hours will be held Wednesday September 16th from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Doane Beal & Ames, 160 West Main Street, Hyannis. Burial will be private at Mosswood Cemetery in Cotuit, MA.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hyannis Firefighters Relief Association, https://www.hyannisffra.com/