Marvin Douglas Sullivan

Marvin Douglas Sullivan, 69, a longtime resident of Brookhaven,died on Wednesday, July 11, 2007.

Visitation is Friday, July 13, from 5 until 9 p.m., at RiverwoodFamily Funeral Service in Brookhaven.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, July 14,at First United Methodist Church, Brookhaven. The Rev. WayneWebster and the Rev. Martin Case will officiate. Interment will bein the Whitehall United Methodist Church Cemetery, in Louisville,at 4 p.m., Saturday, July 14.

At the time of his death, Sullivan was the state office directorfor Sen. Thad Cochran, a position he had held for the past nineyears.

Sullivan, a native of Louisville, graduated in 1955 fromLouisville High School where he was chosen to attend Boys State;was selected class favorite; served on the student council for fouryears; served as class president for three years; and playedfootball and baseball.

He was a 1959 graduate of Delta State University where he servedas class president for three years and was listed in Who’s Who inAmerican Colleges and Universities. As a four-year member of thefootball team, he received the Freddie Black Memorial Award and wasa member of the “M” Club. He later was inducted into theUniversity’s Athletic Hall of Fame and received the DistinguishedStatesman Award. An avid follower of DSU athletics, he served aspresident of the Southwest Mississippi DSU Alumni Association.

Sullivan taught and coached in Mississippi Public Schools for 15years, beginning in 1959 at Grenada High School. He led the highschool football programs at Noxapater High School and Eupora HighSchool before finishing his head coaching career at Brookhaven HighSchool in 1974. In 2007 he received the All-American FootballFoundation’s President Gerald R. Ford High School Football CoachingAward.

He served as mayor of Brookhaven from 1993-1997. Before becomingmayor, he owned and operated Sullivan’s Sports World in Brookhavenfor 19 years with store locations also in McComb and Grenada.

Sullivan was an active member of the First United MethodistChurch in Brookhaven. He was currently serving as chairman of boththe First United Methodist Church and the Brookhaven DistrictPastor-Parish Relations committees. A current member of the boardof the Mississippi Methodist Senior Services, he served his churchin many roles, including Administrative Board Chairman, chairman ofthe Board of Trustees, president of United Methodist Men, LayLeader, and Sunday School superintendent.

An enthusiastic supporter of the community, Sullivan was a pastpresident of the Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce, the BrookhavenKiwanis Club, and the Breakfast Kiwanis Club. He was a member ofthe Mississippi Economic Council and Lincoln County IndustrialDevelopment Foundation. He was chairman of the Brookhaven HousingAuthority Board. He was involved in the city’s youth baseballprogram both as commissioner and coach. In 2001 he was king of theKrewe of Ceres Charity Ball.

He was a retired Colonel of the Mississippi National Guard,where he served for over 34 years. He was the commander of theBrookhaven detachment of the 155th Infantry Battalion in the early1970s and had served as company commander in Louisville, Kosciusko,and at the Guard’s state headquarters in Jackson.

He is survived by his wife, Karen Lovorn Sullivan, ofBrookhaven; daughters, Paige Sullivan Case and husband David, ofMeridian; Penny Sullivan Martin and husband Curtis, of OliveBranch; Susan Love Sullivan, of Birmingham, Ala.; son, John DouglasSullivan, of Jackson; three granddaughters, Karen Elizabeth Case,Catherine Lovorn Case, and Mary Madelon Case, all of Meridian;brothers, Bobby “Dotty” Sullivan, of Louisville, and Jerry “Flip”Sullivan, of Atlanta, Ga.

He was preceded in death by infant daughter, Karen LoveSullivan; parents, John Marvin and Mae Belle Sullivan; and brother,Paul Sullivan.

Memorials may be made to the Brookhaven First United MethodistChurch Building Fund.