Marilyn A. Sullivan

1938 - 2019

Marilyn Anne (Kostick) Sullivan, of Ipswich, Sept. 27, 1938, in Brookline, Ma, died peacefully on Aug. 22, 2019 at the home of her daughter, Maggie Hakmiller, in Montrose, Al. She was 80. Raised in Brookline, she graduated Brookline High School and later Boston State College. She spent most of her adult life living in Ipswich, Ma where she worked at various times as a substitute teacher, school crossing guard and bank teller. She possessed a beautiful singing voice and as a young woman sang in several musicals with the Ipswich Summer Theater. An avid gardener, she was known for her green thumb. She spent many hours in her greenhouse where she grew rare orchids, dinner plate dahlias and kept an eclectic collection of cacti. She always kept something interesting at her teller window to the delight of the bank customers. Marilyn had many friends and enjoyed attending Christmas craft shows with the girls from the bank. She loved fashion all her life and designed her own clothing and hats, particularly loving adding bling to her wardrobe. She was an amazing crafter. During Ole Ipswich Days she won many blue ribbons for her rug hooking projects. She loved making Christmas ornaments out of goose eggs for family and friends in town. She was a regular at Martys Donut Shop, which she likened to Cheers, the place where everyone knows your name. After coffee Marilyn would peruse The Family Dollar Store for treasure. She would spend hours looking for the next cool trend or future craft projects. She had a friendly smile for everyone and enjoyed making people laugh. She enjoyed her reputation for being over the top and not one of the sheep. She often said she never had a boring day in her life. She was always busy and a curious learner. Marilyn was an insatiable collector. She collected vintage Christmas anything and displayed it year round in her home. She also had a large collection of clocks and costume jewelry. Due to her decline, she moved to Alabama and spent the last 4 years of her life living with her daughter Maggie and her beloved son-in-law, Karl. She was pre-deceased in 1989, by her devoted husband Thomas Sullivan, a loss from which she never fully recovered. They met as teenagers in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, where Marilyn would spend summers as her parents owned several hotels there. Tommy Sullivan was the bright local boy with beautiful blue eyes. They fell in love and were happily married for thirty years. Her parents Julius Kostick and Margaret McDonough passed many years ago. She leaves behind her three children, Maggie and Karl Hakmiller of Montrose, AL, Emily Audesse of Goffstown, NH and Craig and Maidy Sullivan of Marlborough MA. She was Grammo to 12 grandchildren, Tory, Erika, Karl Thomas and ZuZu Hakmiller, Molly Nelson, Tommy, Chloe, Abbey, Aaron and Aiden Audesse, Avery and Landon Sullivan. Marilyn had recently become a great grandmother with the birth of Ella Nelson. She has two surviving brothers, George and Bobby Kostick. The family wishes to thank Paige Edwards and Mary Donaldson for their long distance love and support. Thanks also to the staff at Springhill Hospice for their compassionate care and Patrick from Paws With Inn for kindly finding a home for Marilyns beloved dogs Fonzie and Lily when she could no longer care for them. She also leaves her caretaker, and best friend, of the past 4 years, Ms. Inez Johnson. Per Marilyns request there will be no service and her ashes will be scattered off the coast of Maine where she will rejoin her late husband, at the place where their love story began almost seventy years ago. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to: TheIpswich HumaneGroup.org. Marilyn would encourage you all to make the world a more beautiful place to live. Shine bright like a diamond Marilyn! Arrangements are entrusted to Cason Funeral Service in Foley Alabama