J. Kirk Sullivan

1935 - 2020

J. Kirk Sullivan
August 25, 1935 - April 2, 2020
On Thursday morning, April 2, 2020, our loving husband, father, and grandfather, J. Kirk Sullivan, went home to be with the Lord. Kirk passed away peacefully in his sleep due to complications from congestive heart failure.
He is survived by his wife, Betty; his two children, Hal Sullivan and Kim Brown (Skip Brown); and his grandchildren, Matthew, Adam and Sara, all of Seattle, Washington.
Born August 25, 1935, in Greenwood, South Carolina, Kirk was proud of his Southern roots. He graduated from Greenwood High School and went on to attain Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Chemistry, along with a PhD in Chemical Engineering, all from Clemson University. He was a generous supporter of education and donated his experience and financial resources to both his alma mater and many other educational institutions throughout the country but especially in Idaho.
Kirk began his career in South Charleston, West Virginia for FMC Corporation where he met his beautiful bride of 59 years on a blind date. It was a love that lasted a lifetime. They were married in June 1960, and moved to South Carolina so Kirk could begin his doctoral work. Our loving mom supported him by commuting back to West Virginia to work in the West Virginia Legislature with Hal at her side. Upon completion of his PhD in 1965, Kirk and Betty moved to Pocatello where they discovered their new lifetime home in the state of Idaho. A one-year work opportunity with FMC took them across the country to New York City, but Idaho would beckon them back home in 1970 when Kirk accepted a position in Boise with Boise Cascade. Kirk had a deep love for the State of Idaho and chose to make this place his home for 50 years. Family and friends often teased that he was the only Idahoan with a South Carolina accent.
Kirk led the Governmental and Environmental Department of Boise Cascade throughout a distinguished 28-year career, retiring as the Vice President of Governmental and Environmental Affairs in 1998. During his long and successful tenure with Boise Cascade, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Executive MBA Program. While he enjoyed travel and leadership roles in many community organizations, his retirement was short-lived as he soon joined efforts with several dear friends and colleagues to form Veritas Advisor. This retirement project grew to be a powerful consulting firm supporting many Idaho corporations, policy issues and political campaigns.
With great passion and heart, Kirk shared his treasure and talent with countless non-profits, state-appointed boards, and political organizations. Dozens of those organizations have honored his work for them and those accolades will always be cherished by his children and grandchildren. He humbly loved knowing he was contributing to others' lives.
Please keep Kirk and Betty in your prayers during this challenging time in our world. When it is safe for us all to be out of our homes, there will be a memorial to celebrate his incredible life.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks you to consider a donation in Kirk's honor to either your favorite charity or to the Women's and Children's Alliance.