Mary Gail Sullivan's Obituary
Mary Gail (Arsenault) Sullivan, 83, of Methuen, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, November 7, 2021 at The Woods at Merrimack Retirement Community in Methuen.
Mary Gail, the eldest of three sisters, was born on September 22nd during the Great New England Hurricane of 1938. Her parents, the late Henry M. Arsenault and Helen (McEachern) Arsenault, of Newton, MA, chose to call her Gail after the gale-force winds. Throughout her lifetime, she answered to both Mary and Gail, though she preferred to be called Gail.
Gail graduated from Brighton High School in 1956. In May 1958, at the age of 19, she married the love of her life, Edward F. Sullivan, of Allston, MA. They moved to Methuen in 1964 and lived for decades on Campus Road.
Gail went back to school at age forty while working nights for the Arlington Trust Company and raising her three kids. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Lowell in the spring of 1983.
Gail worked as an Accounting Manager for Hybricon Corporation of Littleton, MA. The bulk of her career was spent working for the Internal Revenue Service as a Tax Examiner. Gail received awards for outstanding excellence during her time at the IRS. She loved helping people with their tax problems. She retired in 2009 at the age of 71. Upon her retirement, she received the Treasury Department’s highest career service award, the Albert Gallatin Award.
Gail was an avid reader. She loved mysteries, crossword puzzles, gardening, country music, ice cream, Chinese food, watching thunderstorms from her porch, the artwork of Lowell Herrero, rocking chairs, birds, and the color green. She had a wonderful, warm smile and was a good listener. She loved to make conversation and she was a devoted friend.
Gail is predeceased by her parents, her beloved husband of nearly 40 years, Edward, and her eldest son, James A. Sullivan. Gail is survived by her two sisters, Jane E. Arsenault and Carole A. (Arsenault) Munroe, both of Lexington, MA; her son, Robert M. Sullivan of Cary, NC, and his wife, Susan Sullivan; her daughter, Jennifer L. (Sullivan) DeVelis of Methuen, and her husband, Glenn DeVelis; her granddaughter, Catherine N. (Sullivan) Anderson and her husband, Ryan Anderson; her grandson, Christopher R. Sullivan; and her granddaughter, Sabrina M. DeVelis. Gail has one great-granddaughter, Grey M. Anderson and many nieces and nephews.
Friends and guests are kindly invited to join the family for a Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday, November 20th at 1:00pm at St. Augustine Church, 43 Essex Street, Andover. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, PO Box 849168 Boston, MA 02284. For online guestbook, please visit the funeral home website, www.pollardfuneralhome.com. The Kenneth H. Pollard Funeral Home is honored to serve the Sullivan Family.
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