Lehman Sullivan

Lehman Harrison Sullivan, 95, died peacefully Tuesday, November 4, 2008, surrounded by his family. He was born on January 1, 1913, to Luther and Ora Sullivan, in Osceola, AR. He was five when his father died leaving his mother to raise five children alone. He grew up in Brownsville, TN, attended college at Union College in Jackson, TN and later graduated from The College of the Ozarks in Clarksville, AR with a degree in chemistry. Upon graduation, "Sully" was employed by Deep Rock Oil Co. in Cushing, OK to work at their refinery as a chemist. It was in Cushing that he met the love of his life, Virginia Ruth Surbaugh, whom he married on October 1, 1938. They moved to Chicago, IL in 1939 where their only child, William Harrison Sullivan, was born on December 1, 1940. "Sully" continued to work for Deep Rock until December 7, 1941 when he answered an ad in the Chicago newspaper for a chemist in the Navy and eventually served his country on the U.S.S. Colbert in the Pacific Ocean. After the war, he returned to work for Deep Rock in Milwaukee, WI and Tulsa, OK. When Deep Rock was purchased by Kerr-McGee in 1954 the family moved to Oklahoma City where he lived until his death. After retiring from Kerr-McGee in 1978, he started his own company, S&S Trading, which he operated very successfully until he retired completely in 1983. At that time he was able to participate more frequently in some of his favorite pastimes including gardening, quail hunting and fishing, which included many memorable trips to Canada with his son. Ruth and Sully were longtime members of May Avenue Methodist Church where they were very active members in the B.C. Clark Sunday School Class. Lehman was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, a brother, and his beloved wife of 66 years, Ruth. He is survived by his son, Bill Sullivan and his wife, Marilyn his granddaughter, Shelby Elaine Sullivan his granddaughter, Lynne Sullivan Zahn and her husband, Stephen his grandson, Andrew Harrison Sullivan and his wife, Lauren and four great-granddaughters, Regan Lee Zahn, Addison Ruth Zahn, Margaret Hayes Sullivan and Lucille Hunt Sullivan, all of Oklahoma City. He is also survived by a sister, Alta Rose Barham of Mercer, TN and several nieces and nephews. Services will be Friday, November 7, 2008, at 2:00 p.m., at Hahn-Cook, Street & Draper Funeral Home Chapel officiated by Rev. Irving S. Jones.