Patricia McHenry Sullivan

Pat McHenry Sullivan, most recently of Harrisonburg, VA died on Monday, October 20, 2025, at the age of 83. Pat was born July 5, 1942 in Greenville, North Carolina. By 1945 the family, including brother Bill (now in Maine and Florida), and Peggy, the youngest, moved to Shenandoah, Virginia. Pat's dad began teaching shop and industrial arts. Later her mother, Mayo McHenry, taught English, until Leukemia took her health and then her life in January of 1956. Pat then became chief shopper and cook Her fried chicken beat KFC by a country mile. Her German chocolate cake and lemon meringue pie were amazing. At the same time, she made top grades, played clarinet in the band, and enjoyed hanging out with her friends. Before her high school graduation, the children welcomed stepmother, Violet Adelina Stahr, from New Jersey. Pat and dear friends (whose mother had engineered the meeting of Violet and Pat's dad) enjoyed watching the budding courtship. She never stopped learning. After graduating from William and Mary College, she moved to Washington, D.C. where she worked a variety of jobs, the most enjoyable ones requiring her to learn new skills, and any kind of research and writing. In D.C., she found the love of her life, John Joseph Sullivan, who shared her passion for both reading and writing. After about ten years, they moved to Oakland, California for a graduate program that intrigued them. They found new friends and new challenges. Pat worked as a legal secretary, paralegal, researcher, and writer. In 2003, her book, Work with Meaning, Work with Joy, was published by Sheed and Ward. The San Francisco Chronicle published more than fifty of her articles on practical, everyday spirituality and twenty six "Vision and Values" columns. A new focus arose when she became aware of John's increasing problems with memory and basic tasks. He was diagnosed with dementia, and Pat revved up her search engines. They both became involved with a newly formed but fast growing group, Dementia Action Alliance. The group includes some professionals, but most are people learning to cope with new challenges, and the people who love and live with them. Pat and John were part of a panel discussion at a national convention just before they moved to Shenandoah to live with Pat's sister Peggy, along with Peggy's oldest son and his family. Later,Pat and John were featured along with other families in a PBS film, 4th in a series, about coping with dementia. But, there are always thorns among the roses. Medical issues for both flared up; sometimes tempers flared; John had to go into a nursing home, where he seems to be contented. Pat was not at all contented when she was sent to a nursing home after her third stroke,but, with time, she found some roses among the thorns. Go rest high on that mountain, Pat. There will be no viewing or formal service but the family would love to hear from old, or new, friends of Pat. Her sister, Peggy Printz, is at 317 North 4th St, Shenandoah, VA and will gladly receive and forward good stories, questions, or information to others in the extended family. Should you wish to make a donation in honor of Pat, the family suggests DAA or Shenandoah Fire and Rescue- who made numerous trips to take Pat or her husband to the hospital or to help Pat get up when she fell on the floor and needed help to get up. They were unfailingly patient, kind, knowledgeable, and professional.