The late Doug Sullivan is still serving his people.

The former Brookhaven Mayor who died of a heart attack in 2007continues to spread devotion and good cheer, which will beevidenced on Thanksgiving Day next week at the third annual DougSullivan Community Thanksgiving Luncheon at First United MethodistChurch. The free meal fed well more than 1,000 people last year andat least one thousand more are expected when the doors swing openat 11 a.m.

His widow, Brookhaven High School teacher and cityalderman-at-large Karen Sullivan, said she expects this year’sluncheon to be bigger than ever because of the number of peopleaffected by the slow national economy, but pointed out the meal isfor everyone, regardless of their financial situation.

“It gets bigger every year, and thank goodness, because that wasDoug’s desire,” she said. “It is something Doug had wanted to dofor several years. He often said to us, ‘We need to give up ourThanksgiving and do this.'”

But this November hasn’t been all about Doug Sullivan honoringhis people. On Nov. 6, his people honored him.

That’s when Karen Sullivan and her family was invited to ameeting of the Delta State University Alumni Association to acceptan award, on the late mayor’s behalf, that named him a member ofthe third class of inductees into the Delta State University AlumniHall of Fame. He was the first to be inducted posthumously into afraternity the college calls membership in the highest honorawarded to Delta State alum.

“The place was so dear to Doug’s heart. He was just veryinterested in his alma mater and proud of it; very proud of anybodywho had accomplishments from there,” Karen said.

Doug Sullivan was a freshman at Delta State in 1955 andgraduated in 1959 with a major in mathematics. He was classpresident during his sophomore, junior and senior years. He begancoaching football right out of college, coaching for 15 yearsbefore hanging up his whistle as athletics director at BrookhavenHigh School in 1974.

The late leader was also a 34-year member of the MississippiNational Guard, eventually rising to the position of commander ofthe Brookhaven post of what was then the 155th InfantryBattalion.

He would go on to serve as Brookhaven mayor from 1993-1997, andran for Congress in 1998. In 2001, he began working for U.S. Sen.Thad Cochran and served as the senator’s state office director.

Throughout his life and all his positions, Doug Sullivancontinued to be involved with Delta State, where is nowremembered.

“When Doug entered school there in 1955 he began a love/loyaltyrelationship with that university that lasted until the day hedied,” Karen said. “I mean that literally. The night before Dougdied, he was at a planning session with the Southwest MississippiDelta State Alumni Association. The next morning, he died.”