Mark Francis Sullivan

Mark Francis Sullivan went home to be with the Lord on April 8, 2022, after a yearlong illness.  Mark, a man of many friends, loved to cook, golf, fish, serve his church, and, above all, be hospitable.

His funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m., Thursday, April 21st, at St. Egbert Catholic Church with Father Tom Davis officiating. Interment will follow at 2 p.m., at Coastal Carolina Veterans Cemetery in Jacksonville. The family will receive friends from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m., Wednesday, April 20th, at Munden Funeral Home. For those unable to attend, the service can be viewed through their obituary page on Munden Funeral Home’s website. The service will remain on the Funeral Home website for 90 days.

Mark was born in Boston, Massachusetts on April 23, 1956, to Frank and Theresa (Watts) Sullivan. Mark had two older sisters, Patricia and Kathleen. He spent his early years living in Nashua, New Hampshire, and the family often summered at White Horse Beach in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This would be a favorite place to return to his entire life. Here, also, began his love for fishing, and a circle of friends which would last for decades.

Mark attended schools in New Hampshire, and then, in September of 1974, he entered the Navy. On board ship, he was a Hull Technician and developed the skill of welding. He earned the rank of E5 and left the service in December of 1983. Mark was very proud of his service to his country.

In 1997, Mark met the love of his life, Helen Grace Marshall, and swept her off her feet with his dance moves, his ability to communicate, and his certainty, that she was “The One”. Helen and Mark were married on June 20, 1998. Helen had two previous children, Cheri and Dan, whom Mark loved as his own.

Mark and Helen’s marriage was the beginning of a new journey for Mark. They moved to Beaufort, North Carolina, and there he struggled with finding his post service occupation niche. Then, with Helen’s faithful encouragement, when the opportunity presented itself, Mark went to college, earning a 4.0 grade point and gained a position at Cherry Point working for the Defense Department as an Aviation Systems Technologist. There, Mark excelled. He had found his niche.

Outside of work, Mark had other varied interests. He was an active member of Knights of Columbus where he rose to 4th degree. Another addition to life was Mark’s boat where fishing and entertaining became another venue of his hospitality. Mark continually shared his time and more with others. The Sullivan garage became the Friday night pool hang out for the neighborhood. And a good time was had by all. Everywhere he went, Mark developed friendships which would last.

Mark’s love for cooking, indoor, outdoor on the grill, or in the smoker grew out of his friendship and competitive nature with other cooks and especially Mark T. The two of them would share, compete, and boast over their culinary endeavors. And cook he did, frequently inviting more people to come to a barbecue than the amount of food in the larder might indicate. But Mark was a giving person. His garage was stocked with whatever tool a neighbor might need. His freezer was stocked with popsicles for the neighborhood kids. His heart was always available to help someone in need. Mark loved his neighbors and they loved him. He will be dearly missed by so many who surrounded their Beaufort home, Dave and Laura Clemmons, Brian and Meghan Frazier, Steve and Melissa Smith, Yvonne Glasgow, Mark and Kathy Tatiossian, and a host of others.

Mark also received continual affection, devotion, and comfort from his two dogs, Sadie, the Diva, and Bella, the Pensive.

Mark is survived by his wife, Helen; daughter and son-in-law, Cheri and Ted Bowles and Ted’s  daughter Harriet; Helen’s son and daughter-in-law, Danny and Krista Marshall, their daughter, Brittany, and sons, Daniel and Joshua; Mark’s sister and her husband, Kathleen and Richard  Kaas; Mark’s brother-in-law, James Despathy, husband of Mark’s sister, the late Patricia  Despathy; Helen’s sisters and their husbands, Grace and Don Goldsby, Linda Mottolo, Jean  Holmes, Renee and Ray Devereaux; Helen’s sister-in-law, Margaret Mottolo, wife of Helen’s  brother, the late Frank Mottolo; and multiple nephews, nieces, and cousins.

Donations can made to The Navy Seal Foundation, 1619 D St., Virginia Beach, VA 23459 or the Unbound Antipolo Project, 1 Elmwood Ave., Kansas City, KS 66103.

Family and friends are welcome to submit online condolences at www.mundenfuneralhome.net

Arrangements by Munden Funeral Home & Crematory in Morehead City, NC.