John William Sullivan

John William Sullivan, 62,  husband of Inga McAlister Sullivan, of Mount Pleasant, SC, passed away on Sunday, August 23, 2020.

The relatives and friends of Mr. and Mrs. John W. Sullivan are invited to attend his Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated at 11:00 AM Monday, August 31, 2020, at Stella Maris Catholic Church. The Rite of Committal at St. Lawrence will be private.  

He was the son of Joseph Edward Sullivan, Sr. and Patricia Crowley. John was born in Boston, a true Southie boy, but later moved to Hopkinton where he grew up playing little league baseball, watching the start of the Boston Marathon and doing odd jobs to make enough money to buy a ticket to Fenway to watch his beloved Redsox.  He attended Hopkinton High where he excelled at baseball. basketball and gymnastics. He performed in floor exercise, still rings and pommel horse. At the age of 45, he could perform a handstand into a dip and push up and flip backwards in to the pool as witnessed by Inga, otherwise no one would believe it.

After graduating from high school, he enrolled in Mass Maritime Academy and graduated in 1979. He did play one summer in the Cape Cod League but realized his calling was ships and the sea. John was a USCG Licensed Chief Engineer with 22 years of sea time including 13 years sailing as chief on Panamax Container ships and Supertankers. He was a certified Marine Surveyor by ABS Industry, a member of the Propeller Club of the US, member of the SC Maritime Association of SC, member of the South East Admiralty Law Institute, member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. He received the Certificate of Merit from the USCG for keeping the highest traditions of Public Service.  At the time of his death, he was excelling as a Marine Forensic Expert having previously retired at the age of 40, from Maersk-SeaLand Shipping as Chief Engineer. He held a triple chief's license in steam, motor and gas powered engines. John was very proud of that accomplishment. At the age of 28, he was the youngest in the industry at that time to earn the title of Chief Engineer.  

Every ship needs an engineer to ensure safe voyage and God's vessel now has its Chief Engineer.

He had many more accomplishments to list, but the greatest of all are his 3 sons, Parker, Jack and Bane. Everyone knows how much he loved them and how proud he was of their accomplishments. He bragged about them to anyone that would listen. He also loved his step-sons Jimmy, Wiinslow, and Capers, and they respected his intelligence and humor.

He is survived by his wife, Inga McAlister Sullivan; three sons, William Parker Sullivan (Bianca), John Leighton Sullivan (Haleigh) and Christopher Bane Sullivan; three step-sons, James E. Carroll III (Sarah), Francis Winslow Carroll (Grace) and Thomas Capers McAlister Carroll. Also surviving are two brothers, two brothers-in-law, four sisters-in-law and seven nieces and nephews.