1927-2014


Nicholas-Sullivan

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