1927-2014
Words of Remembrance for Brother Nicholas Sullivan, FSC
Given by Brother Arthur Bangs, FSC
October 9, 2014
Mass of Christian Burial
La Salle University Chapel, Philadelphia, PA
It is a privilege for me to have the opportunity to give this reflection on our friend and confrere, Brother Nicholas Sullivan.
Brother Nicholas was a very gifted and unique individual, an excellent teacher, and an excellent religious. And that covers a lot of ground.
He entered Ammendale in 1945, right out of La Salle High School and focused on the science of biology in college.
My first encounter with Nick was at Ammendale just before Christmas of 1950. We were in our first year of the scholasticate in the former juniorate building at Ammendale, and Brother Nick had just come from visiting the site of what would be the new scholasticate in Elkins Park. We were enthralled at his major address which described the scene of what would shortly be our new home at Elkins Park the following semester. We would be there with our Director, Brother Francis Benilde Nash.
Nick’s first teaching assignment was the challenging La Salle High School in Cumberland, MD. In those days, given its size, each Brother often taught three or four different courses with other chores thrown into the mix. Since science was Nick’s area of expertise, especially biology, he taught a number of different science courses. Interestingly, during this time, he also developed his lifelong interest in cave exploration—a true spelunker—and even eventually held the presidency of the National Speleological Society. It probably was this venture that he is best remembered among the Brothers. According to internet reports, he studied cave biota in 1600 caves in over 100 countries.
Nick received his doctorate from Notre Dame in 1962 and eventually joined the new community at St. Mary’s in Philadelphia. For a while he commuted by public transportation to pray with the Brothers here at the University at our early morning Mass. Amazingly, given his expertise in traveling, I don’t think he ever owned a driver’s license.
In addition to teaching in Cumberland, Brother also guided students at La Salle, Manhattan, and St. Francis Colleges.
My own personal, undying appreciation stems from his invitation to join him and several others for a week after Christmas to travel a bit in Puerto Rico, all at his expense. So, along with Brothers Claude Demitras, Vincent Grimes, and a colleague in public relations, we rented a car, traversed a bit of the island, including a beach and a cave! It was my very first venture outside the USA. It was impossible to thank him enough.
And so we laud Brother Nicholas Sullivan for being a scholar, an avid intellectual, an intrepid explorer, an excellent religious, and a true friend.
May he rest in peace.
Please pray for the happy repose of the soul of Br. Nicholas Sullivan, FSC
Born Thomas Francis Sullivan in Philadelphia, PA, on December 20, 1927
Entered the Ammendale, MD, Novitiate on May 29, 1945
Received the Religious Habit and the name, Brother Gerardus Nicholas, on September 7, 1945
Pronounced Perpetual Vows in Ammendale, MD, on August 29, 1952
Br. Nicholas died at De La Salle Hall, Lincroft, NJ, on October 4, 2014
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Viewing from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm
De La Salle Hall
810 Newman Springs Road
Lincroft, NJ 07738-1608
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Viewing from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Mass of Christian Burial at 7:00 pm
La Salle University: De La Salle Chapel
1900 West Olney Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19141-1199
Friday, October 10, 2014
Burial in the Brothers’ cemetery, Ammendale, MD, at 11:30 am
Luncheon to follow
SUFFRAGES FOR OUR DECEASED BROTHER NICHOLAS
District: 100 masses
De La Salle Hall community: 30 masses
Each community in the District: 1 mass
Brother Nicholas passed away peacefully in the late afternoon after several days in hospice care. May he rest in peace.
Assignments
1946-1950
scholasticate
Washington, D.C.
De La Salle College
1950-1957
teacher
Cumberland, MD
La Salle High School
1957-1959
teacher
Philadelphia, PA
La Salle College High School
1959-1962
study
South Bend, IN
Notre Dame University
1962-1979
faculty [asst. to the president: 1969-1671]
Philadelphia, PA
La Salle University
1979-1985
faculty
New York, NY
Manhattan College
1985-1992
faculty (Tibbett Avenue residence)
New York, NY
St. Francis College
1992-1994
faculty (Bishop Loughlin residence)
New York, NY
St. Francis College
1994-2006
resident
Philadelphia, PA
St. Mary’s Hall
2006-2008
resident
Philadelphia, PA
Sacred Heart Manor, Independent Living Wing
2008-2014
resident
Lincroft, NJ
De La Salle Hall
Brother Nicholas was an outstanding instructor. He was my geology teacher at Manhattan College in the early 1980s. It is an honor to have joined him to conduct cave research in Chillagoe caverns in northern Queensland, Australia in 1982.
I had the opportunity to write a research manuscript on Chillagoe Caves and how troglobites adapted to cave environment.
Brother Nicholas was and is my favorite instructor. May the Lord Bless Brother Nicholas Sullivan.
Brother Nick was my geology teacher in 1979 at Manhattan College. Through him the class discovered the highest geographical point in New York City and the igneous intrusion which it presents. This point of fact took quite a bit of research in the days before Goggle searches. I can verify that Bro. Nick did not have a driver’s license, nor a personal car. He did have however have an Exxon credit card and he filled up my car on several occasions as I drove him to the Explores Club in Manhattan or out to St. Mary’s in Philadelphia. In the 90’s Bro. Nick visited my house in Germany and we made a day trip together to Salzburg, Austria. For dinner that evening my wife served tortellini upon which Bro. Nick told my wife that her tortellini was much better than the tortellini which he had for dinner with the Pope in Rome the week before. We remained in contact up until his passing . He certainly made a lasting impression on me and I morn the loss of my teacher and friend.