Obituary of Doris R Sullivan

Doris Rose Sullivan died peacefully at her Basking Ridge home on Friday, August 29, 2014, one day shy of her 90th birthday. Doris was born in Louisville, Kentucky, married and raised her family there until she moved to New Jersey twenty-one years ago to help her daughter Kathy Ann and Son-in-law Gerald Matlesky raise their young and growing family of Jess, Greg, and James Matlesky. To honor the importance of both communities of loving friends and family, celebrations of Doris' life will be held in both New Jersey and her beloved Kentucky. The Matlesky family will receive friends and family at Gallaway and Crane Funeral Home, 101 South Finley Avenue, Basking Ridge, NJ on Tuesday, September 2, 2014 from 4 to 7 p.m. All of her family will unite in Louisville, Kentucky to honor Doris with visitation at the Ratterman Funeral Home, 3800 Bardstown Road, Louisville, Kentucky on Thursday, September 4, 2014 from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, September 5, 2014. Immediately following, Doris will be laid to rest beside her late husband, Leo James (Jimmy) Sullivan, in Calvary Cemetery, 1600 Newburg Rd. Doris was employed thirty years at the former South Central Bell and Bell South, primarily as a telephone operator. She was proud to also say that she was one of the first female supply attendants, mastering a fork lift before she retired in 1985. She worked tirelessly to balance her job with her main vocation as a wife and loving mother to her three sons and one daughter. Delicious home-cooked Sunday dinners for the whole family became her signature as her family grew up, left home, and began to raise families of their own. She taught her children the importance of family, getting a good education, and turning in an honest days work; and leaves behind the legacy of a large and loving family. Doris is survived by her children, James Scott Sullivan, Sr. and his wife Carol Jean (Seidenfaden), Kathy Sullivan Matlesky and her husband, Gerald (Gerry), John Dean Sullivan, and Preston Randall (Randy) Sullivan and his wife, Gail Starr (Caulk). Besides Jess, Greg, and James Matlesky, she will be greatly missed by her grandchildren Scott Sullivan, Jr. and his wife Robin, Bethany Dunkin and her husband Brad, Brett Sullivan, Eric Miller, Amy Spanyer and her husband Danny, Jennifer (Jen) Sullivan, Jason Sullivan and his wife Katie, and Diane Ingbritsen. Doris was especially proud of her growing legacy of great grandchildren, Molli and Carley Sullivan, Brynlee Dunkin, Keaton and Madde Miller, Kate & Jack Ingbritsen, Mason Sullivan, Cooper Sullivan, Beckham and her namesake Hadleigh Rose Spanyer. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the VNA of Somerset Hills-Hospice, 200 Mt. Airy Rd., Basking Ridge, NJ 07920. For further information please contact Gallaway and Crane Funeral Home at 908-766-0250, or to light an online condolence candle please visit our website at www.gcfuneralhome.com