Obituary of Det. William J. Sullivan Jr.

Detective William J. Sullivan passed away on April 11, 2020 at age 54. He was born July 27, 1965 to William and Marie (Grady) Sullivan in the City of Yonkers where he was raised and educated. William J. Sullivan was predeceased by his grandparents, Vice Mayor for the City of Yonkers, James Sullivan and his wife, Helen Sullivan. He was also predeceased by his parents William and Marie, a brother, James A. Sullivan, and a sister, Kerry M. (Sullivan) Timlin. William J. Sullivan is survived by his wife, Eileen (Costello) Sullivan, his daughter, Jacqueline Sullivan, his son, William Sullivan III, and his beloved dog, Duke Pugglesworth. He is also survived by the following brother/sister-in-laws, Debra and Robert Stanson, Patrick and Patricia Costello, William and Suzy Costello, Brian Costello and Waldina Garcia, and Peter Timlin, as well as his beloved nieces and nephews, Elizabeth, Valerie, Timothy, Gwen, Michael, Aiden, and Emma. He is also survived by his cousins from the Harrigan, Purdy, Toohey, Browne, and Michalak families. Bill and his wife, Eileen, had been married for over 29 years and had two children: Jacqueline and William. Throughout their years of marriage, Bill and Eileen shared many beautiful memories together, especially on the island of Aruba and the beaches of Fairfield, CT. Bill and Eileen were filled with pride as they watched their children start their respective careers for the City of Yonkers. Jacqueline currently serves as a Special Education Teacher at Westchester Hills School 29 and William was sworn in as a member of the Yonkers Police Department. Bill had the honor of bestowing his original police shield, #893, to his son at his graduation from the Westchester County Police Academy. Bill also had the pleasure of sharing in beautiful memories with his daughter's boyfriend, Anthony Saline, and his son's girlfriend, Jessica Cimino. He loved them as much as his own children and family. After graduating from Sacred Heart High School, Bill began working for the family business, Sullivan & Sons Building Materials and Fuel Oil Company. In the 1980's, he started his career in law enforcement by working as a "Park Ranger" for the Westchester County Police Department. He loved this job and continued to work there for many years. Bill always wanted to be a police officer. After taking the test, he was on the appointment list for many different departments, however Yonkers was the first to reach out. William J. Sullivan was appointed to the Yonkers Police Department on February 3, 1995. Assigned shield #893, Bill attended and graduated from the Westchester County Police Academy. Following his recruit training, Police Officer William Sullivan was assigned to uniform patrol duty in the 4th precinct. Over the course of his career, Bill served as a mentor and friend to all in the department. Additionally, he was elected as the 4th precinct trustee for several years and later was elected as the Sergeant at Arms and Board member of the PBA. After years in the 4th precinct on patrol, Bill was appointed to Detective where he carried "the gold shield" #693 and was assigned to the Detective Division. As a result of his work and demeanor as Detective, he was assigned to the Major Case Squad. After serving in the Major Case Squad for 8 years, Detective Sullivan was transferred to the Special Investigations Unit, where he served under the department's top-ranking officials. Detective Sullivan was also a proud member of the Fraternal Order of Police, the New York State Police and Fire Retirees Association, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick (Westchester), and the Police Emerald Society of Westchester, who recognized him numerous times over the years with various awards. In 2017, Detective Sullivan was selected to be an aide to the St. Patrick's Day Parade Grand Marshall, Cardinal Dolan. On April 11, 2020, Detective William Sullivan succumbed to complications associated with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) that he unfortunately contracted during the performance of his duties with the Yonkers Police Department. To honor this wonderful man, who always put others first, the Sullivan family is asking that donations be made to the American Heart Association or the New York Blood Center. Please consider donating a pint of blood or platelets in Sully's memory, as this was something that he did on a monthly basis to help others.