Carley L. Sullivan

1927 - 2020

Carley l. Sullivan

The family sadly announces the passing of their beloved Mother, Grandmother, and Great-Grandmother on February 3rd, 2020.

Carley was born on St. Patrick's Day, 1927, the eldest of four children of Florence Helen and Raymond Lewis Hayden. She graduated from Estacada High School in 1945 where she was editor of her school newspaper and Class Salutatorian. Carley then attended the University of Oregon on a Journalism Scholarship. She was a member of National College Sorority of Sigma Kappa.

Carley met her "Sully" at a sorority event after a University of Oregon vs. St. Mary's football game. They were married in May, 1951. Carley worked while Sully attended graduate school at UC Berkley. They moved to central California where Sully began his coaching career. Their firstborn, daughter Blaine Helen, was born in 1952 and daughter Valerie was born in 1954. They moved to Elko, NV in 1955, where Sully was a teacher and football coach. Son Daniel and daughter Peggy were born in Elko in 1956 and 1958, respectively.

For six years Carley worked as Executive Secretary for the Elko Chamber of Commerce and was a Management Assistant at the Nevada Youth Training Center for twenty-seven years before retiring. After retiring, Carley moved to Reno to be close to family.

Carley was active in Nevada Democratic politics for most of her life and served for many years with the Elko County Democratic party and was inducted into the Nevada Democratic Hall of Fame. Particularly meaningful events to her included attending 3 Presidential inaugurations and serving on boards and commissions for 4 Nevada governors.

She was dedicated to education-related community service. She was a member of and Board president for the Nevada PTA for 14 years, and was elected to the Nevada State Board of Education, serving 12 years. She was a Nevada Delegate to the White House Conference on Children and Youth.

She served for 22 years on the board of the American Lung Association of Nevada; served 16 years with the Elko City Planning Commission; and was a member of the Rural Nevada Women's Conference.

She served as a Board Member of the Great Basin Concert Association in Elko and was a member of the Reno Pops Orchestra for 12 years.

She particularly enjoyed her work establishing the newest chapter of Sigma Kappa sorority at UNR; and involvement with the Nevada Women's History project.

Carley was a life-long sports lover and she avidly followed the Oregon Ducks, and the college teams of her family members, always sporting team apparel on game days.

The Guide to Records of Carley L. Sullivan is Collection #97-14, Women's Section, Getchell Library at UNR.

Carley was preceded in death by her husband, Willard, in 1987; her son, Daniel in 2003; and her daughter, Blaine Rose, in 2018. Surviving family members are daughters Peggy Hagen (David) and Valerie Mitchell (Roger); "adopted" (daughter # 4) Catherine Probasco Basler; beloved grandchildren Carina, Cameron, Brian Hagen (Dr. Cassandra Puccinelli), Dr. Kathryn Hagen (Jack Douglass), Colleen Hagen Garcia (Ruben); great grandchildren, Nora Quinn Hagen and Luca David Garcia. She is also survived by her sister Sharon Weston and brother Dwight L. Hayden (Delorice).

Carley requested there be no memorial service. She asked that those who knew and loved her celebrate her life with family and friends enjoying two of her favorite things: Champagne and Godiva chocolates.

Two organizations particularly inspired Carley's own goals and objectives for community service in the later years of her long life and she requested that any donations in her memory be made to:

Sigma Kappa Alumnae Association

763 Norfolk Drive, Carson City, Nevada 89703

or

Reno Pops Orchestra

P.O. Box 20952 Reno NV 89515-0952 www.renopops.org