ROBERT SULLIVAN

SULLIVAN--Robert. Bob Sullivan, a pioneer of political focus groups, dies at 88. Robert "Bob" James Sullivan, beloved husband, brother, father, and grandfather, passed on August 21, 2022, in Brooklyn, NY. Born in 1934, Bob was raised in Kingsbridge, Bronx by parents Bill and Helen and looked after by his older and surviving brother Ken. In 1954 Bob received a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Washington College and joined the Navy serving as a Lieutenant on the USS Sigourney, until 1960. While earning a Certificate from the Russian Institute at Columbia University's Graduate School of Government, in 1964 Bob met and married Teri the love of his life and started a family they would raise on Manhattan's Upper West Side. In the 1960's Bob taught constitutional law, history, and political science at St. John's University, the City University of New York, and Iona College. After being part of the team responsible for setting up off-track-betting (OTB) operations in New York in 1977, Bob was named Special Assistant to the New York Secretary of State marking the beginning of a notable 24-year career in state government. From 1978 to 1983, he was Director of Research for New York's Lt. Gov. Mario M. Cuomo, researching and writing memos on a wide range of state matters. In 1983 Cuomo was elected Governor and appointed Bob Director of Research, a position he held for 12 years in the New York State Executive Chamber providing research, polling, and analysis to the Governor and his staff. After retiring in 1995 Bob partnered with fellow Cuomo staffer Richard Starkey and formed Perfect Pitch Communications, Ltd., a public affairs research company specializing in opinion surveys, focus groups, and public relations. In 1996 Bob volunteered and became a Certified Mediator in the Brooklyn Mediation Center wherein he took an active role in Community and Civil Court mediations. Bob's love of family, friends, learning, nature, books, baseball, and politics will live on through those who knew him. He is survived by his wife Teri, their three sons David, Daniel, and Matthew, two grandsons Jacob and Matthew, and granddaughter Ava.