John L. Sullivan

John L. Sullivan, age 87, of Los Alamitos, CA, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, on March 12, 2026. Born on March 5, 1939 in Mount Vernon, New York, “Jack”, as he was known to his family, was the son of John and Mildred Sullivan, and younger brother to his sister Carol.

John’s father served in the US Army and they lived in Marburg, Germany following World War II. The family returned to New York, settling in New Rochelle, and John attended Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, where he ran track as a hurdler and sprinter. Always a strong math student, John was encouraged by his teacher to study engineering, and that pivotal decision began his career. He attended the State University of New York Maritime College at Fort Schuyler and set sail with the Merchant Marine the day after graduation. As a Marine Engineer, he sailed to Central America for the United Fruit Company aboard the Comoyagua, an intracoastal refrigerated cargo ship that transported bananas to the United States. It was during one stop where he met his wife Teresa. John and Teresa married in 1962 and lived in Costa Rica while John continued to sail with the Merchant Marine.

John took a job with Mobile Oil in 1963 and he and Teresa moved to Long Beach, California. He sailed on Mobile oil tankers as Chief Engineer for many years, including on the Mobileoil vessel. In 1973, he came ashore as a Port Engineer with ARCO Marine. From ashore, he worked with the ARCO Marine oil tanker fleet traveling to ports in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and East Asia while holding management positions in the Engineering and Operations Departments. During this time John received his MBA from California State University at Long Beach and was promoted to Vice President of Engineering at ARCO Marine in 1982.

John loved the sea and took great pride in his career, passionately leading the design and delivery of what is now the ConocoPhillips POLAR Tankers fleet before his retirement in 2003. A safer oil tanker, the Millennium Class set a new standard as the first double-hull crude-oil tankers in the United States. Teresa was honored to serve as the ship’s sponsor, christening the POLAR Endeavour in 1999, the first of 5 ships in the fleet.

John and Teresa moved to Los Alamitos to raise their family. He loved spending time with his family and spent many years coaching soccer for his daughters’ and grandsons’ teams in the local American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO). John’s Irish roots could always be seen as he chose his favorite kelly green color for team uniforms each season. He dedicated a significant amount of time to the leadership of the AYSO Regional Board, serving as a Coach Training Instructor and Referee. A devoted father and grandfather, John took every opportunity to attend the school events, games, and performances of his children and grandchildren through the years.

John and Teresa shared a beautiful marriage and Teresa cared for him well through the end of his life. They had many travels together, including trips to Europe, cruises with his sister Carol, and multiple trips visiting their dear friends in Hawaii. John was a devout Catholic and long time parishioner of St. Cornelius Catholic Church. John and Teresa served as Ushers and Eucharistic Ministers for many years.

John is survived by his wife Teresa, daughters Heather Calvete Roman and Jennifer Sullivan Pareti, Jennifer’s husband Kirk Pareti, grandsons Jonathan Calvete, Benjamin Pareti, and Samuel “Sully” Pareti, and his beloved sister Carol Creaturo.

A funeral mass will be held on March 24, 2026 at 10:30 AM at St. Cornelius Catholic Church in Long Beach, California followed by a private burial at Good Shepherd Cemetery in Huntington Beach.